Behind Those Emerald Eyes
by xxlilmusicxx
Summary: No one saw the darkness that truly lurked behind those enticing green eyes. The light side had lost their champions before they had a chance to gain them. Harry and Alexis Potter, the true epitomes of evil. Dark!PotterTwins, Dumbledore bashing, and Selected Weasley bashing!
1. Year 1 - Wicked Witch Twins

**Hi guys! I haven't seen much of these stories so I thought I'd give it a shot.**

**I've read quite a few dark Fem!Harry and Tom Riddle that I quite like (though there aren't much of those fics, sadly). ****Anyways, this is my shot for a dark story with a twist. Please read "The Slytherin Side of Things" if you're curious to know who Alex Potter is. But this story could still stand for itself. I hope you guys enjoy!**

**For additional information, the appearance of both Tom Riddle and Voldemort shall be explained in the story, okay?**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter; it all belongs to J.K Rowling and Warner Brothers Inc. However, I do own Alex.

**Pairings:** Undecided. I'll leave you guys to suggest some pairings if you wish.

* * *

Harry and Alexis Potter were different from other children their age, and they knew it. The Dursleys knew it, the very moment the two turned up on their doorstep, bright green eyes staring up at them almost calculatingly - as if they understood what was going on. Petunia Dursley had half a mind to send them to an orphanage, but part of her -an extremely small part that missed her sister - refused to let her do so. Those green eyes staring up at her reminded her too much of Lily. If anything were to happen to the twins, it would be on her conscience.

Years later though, she seemed to have developed immunity to whatever guilt consumed her when it came to the twins. Harry and Alex began doing chores at the age of five, while their giant lump of a cousin lazed around, and made everything all the more difficult. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia merely pretended as if they didn't exist. They would never admit it, but something about the twins scared them.

Harry and Alex were - lack for a better term - angelic, to the eyes of others. Harry had messy black hair that didn't deter his strong features, though he was a tad bit scrawny for his age and wore round glasses. The Dursleys didn't starve them, so they assumed it had been the genes. Alex had the same sharp features, only more femenine, and straight black hair that fell to her lower back. Both had bright green eyes that often gleamed in an unreadable emotion.

Strange things always seemed to happen around them as well - things that, funnily enough, only they and their horrid relatives noticed. There was a side to them that only the Dursleys and those who dares to cross them, had seen.

It was at the age of nine, when the twins had first killed. David, a member of Dudley's gang, had taken it too far when he tried to force Alex to kiss him during one of the trips to the beach. The twins were forced to come along as Vernon and Petunia were reluctant to leave them in the house. Alex's eyes gleamed almost maniacally as she stared up at the boy.

_Go to the water. Drown yourself._

The boy's eyes glazed over as he turned to the body of water, and as if in a trance, walked straight towards it. No one noticed as Alex grinned wickedly and shared a look of delight with Harry. Both watched as David walked further and further to the sea, until the water was just above his head - and he let the water fill his lungs.

It was then that the rest of the adults started to notice the young boy's disappearance. Alex let tears fall from her eyes and pretended to sob in Harry's arms as he held her, his face contorted into faux concern. The other parents asked her what was wrong, and Alex pointed to David's body that was now floating above water.

There was an uproar as everyone noticed the dead body. The Dursleys sent the twins an uneasy look, and in turn, the twins sent them a nasty smirk as the rest of the adults' backs were turned. Their green eyes were glinting with malice, so full of sinister promises if they were to say anything against them. No one would believe them anyway. No one ever suspected the charming, innocent Potter twins.

Funny how looks can be very deceiving.

It was on their eleventh birthday, that the twins each received a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the Dursleys were even more terrified. The twins' threat was still present, so they were best left alone if they wanted to keep their lives, and limbs intact. The following day, their escort to Diagon Alley arrived. A handsome man in robes with pale skin, neat black hair and dark eyes stood at the door. Petunia tried to shut it in his face, but the man stuck a foot out and held the door open.

"I am here to see the Potters." he said, his face stoic.

"They're not here!" Petunia squeaked. The man pushed the door open and stepped inside.

"This is the Dursley residence, is it not? Where are the Potters?" he demanded impatiently, and Petunia looked as if she didn't want to answer.

"Aunt Petunia?" a couple of melodic voices chorused in monotone. Harry and Alex stood at the foot of the stairs, a blank expression on their faces. "Is it for us?" Petunia blanched and stepped away from the door, nodding towards the twins.

Harry was wearing a knitted vest over a white shirt, and a pair of dark trousers, and dress shoes. His hair was -as usual - tousled, and his hand was firmly intertwined with his sister's. Alex was wearing a casual grey dress and a pair of ballet flats. Her hair was loose on her shoulders, decorated with a thin grey ribbon.

"Mr. and Ms. Potter, are you ready to leave?" the man asked the twins, who shared a look that he couldn't really decipher. Then, they turned back to face him.

"Who are you?" asked Harry, his tone having the slightest edge to it, it was almost undetectable.

The man bristled slightly in anger. How dare the brat speak to him in such a manner? "I am Professor Tom Riddle, Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. I shall be escorting you to get your things."

The two nodded. "Are you like us then, Professor?" Alex inquired softly, and Tom observed them curiously. There was something about them he couldn't quite place.

"Yes Ms. Potter, I am a wizard. Now, are you ready to leave?" Again, the twins nodded and were the first out the door. Just as Tom was about to follow, Petunia grabbed his arm. He turned to snap at her, but paused upon seeing her terrified expression.

"Don't let them fool you. They're not as innocent as they look. They're evil, they've _killed_." she whimpered, letting go of his hand and shutting the door.

Tom could only turned to the twins, his shock unmasked. There it was again, that unreadable gleam in their eyes that held a promise that he seemed all too familiar with.

* * *

Tom Riddle was intrigued by the twins, he admitted to himself. There was a likeness between them, especially that look in their eyes when they had caught their aunt telling on them. Neither looked like the type to kill. Merlin, they looked like they couldn't hurt a fly! But Tom knew that wasn't the case. He had caught the look of twisted glee on their faces when they saw how terrified their aunt was of them, but it had gone as quick as it came. But how was it possible? They were the Children-Who-Lived! The very children who had defeated his other self.

During the making of his Horcruxes, the process had gone terribly wrong. Instead of splitting his soul, he had split himself into two different people, his snake-faced double much nastier than he was. Imagine Tom's surprise when his all-powerful double had been defeated by two infants. Now, perhaps, he could see why.

They were alike; the way the twins held themselves, how they spoke, how they seemed to charm people with their mask of innocence reminded Tom too much of himself.

He knew then that he couldn't kill them. There was still a chance for them to turn to the dark, and Tom could only cackle in his head as he imagined of the look on Dumbledore's face.

* * *

**I know it isn't much, but please give it a chance. Anyways, please review!**

**~Cassandra**


	2. Year 1 - Curiouser and curiouser

**And here's the next chapter. For future reference, I'll be calling the real Tom, Riddle from now on. You'll see why, because this is where everything gets confusing.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter; it all belongs to J.K Rowling and Warner Brothers Inc. However, I do own Alex.

**Pairings:** Undecided. I'll leave you guys to suggest some pairings if you wish.

_Harry's thoughts_

_'Alex's thoughts'_

_Both Harry and Alex's thoughts_

**_Horcrux Tom's thoughts_**

**"Parseltongue"**

* * *

Harry and Alex gazed around Diagon Alley uninterestedly. They rarely showed emotion apart from curiosity, and it irritated Riddle to no end. They were unreadable; he wanted to know what they were thinking! As if on cue, the two children glanced up at him and smirked. They knew something he didn't, he could tell. The smirks on their faces were knowing and smug for some reason. Riddle's temper flared, and he gritted his teeth. He refused to be shown up by a couple of _brats_.

_'He's easily angered. What do you think brother?'_ Alex mused through her and her brother's shared link.

Harry mentally snorted. _I__ can tell he's suspicious of us, sister._

**_Do not underestimate my other self, young ones. He's dangerous as well._**

The mental conversation paused as the voice joined them. It was the voice, the dark person within the depths of the twins' shared minds that ensured them that all their tormentors would get what they deserved, the voice that they had grown up with. This was the reason Harry and Alex were all too aware of their abilities, the reason they had so much control over their accidental magic. This person was their only companion besides each other.

_We know__,__ Tom._

The twins have been well aware of the magical world long before Professor Riddle had shown up. They knew about the Ministry, the laws, pureblood customs, and Lord Voldemort. And they knew about Albus Dumbledore. They knew how the old goat had manipulated their parents, taken control of James and Lily Potter, and made them join the light side. Contrary to popular belief, the Potters were a dark family, just like the Blacks and Malfoys. If it hadn't been for Dumbledore, the Potters would have been a great ally on Voldemort's side, and Lily and James would have been alive and well.

_'He will pay for meddling with this family.' _Alex snarled in her mind.

_**All in due time, child. If you play everything right, my other selves can become powerful allies.**_

_And how can we be certain that your other selves won't just kill us and be done with it?_ Harry butted in.

**_They won't. Trust me._**

Finally, they walked into Gringotts, and a goblin approached them. Riddle was just about to request to take them to the Potter's trust vault.

**_Ask for a blood test._**

_What for?_

**_It would help in keeping track of your inheritance._**

"We would like to request a blood test." Harry said, and the goblin, Griphook nodded.

"Very well, Mr. Potter. Follow me."

Riddle could only stare as Harry gently grasped his sister's hand in his, both smiling sweetly at the people who turned to stare at them. Some of the women cooed at them as they passed. Riddle shook his head and followed them, wondering how in Salazar's name did these muggle-raised children know about the blood test.

Neither twin reacted upon having the blade slice their palm, and the blood dripping on separate parchments. They both kept straight faces, watching as the blood disappeared as it was absorbed by the parchments. Then, words began to appear in red ink.

**Name: Harry James Potter**

**Blood Status: Half-Blood**

**Parents: James Charlus Potter and Lily Ann Potter (nee Evans)**

******Magical Guardian: Albus Brian Percival Wulfric Dumbledore**

**Godparents:**

**Sirius Orion Black (godfather/imprisoned)**

**Remus John Lupin (godfather/refused by Magical Guardian)**

**Lucius Abraxas Malfoy (godfather/refused by Magical Guardian)**

**Narcissa Malfoy nee Black (godmother/refused by Magical Guardian)**

**Andromeda Tonks nee Black (godmother/refused by Magical Guardian)**

**Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black (godmother/imprisoned)**

**Titles:**

**Heir to the Most Noble and Ancient House of Potter**

**Heir to the most Noble and Ancient House of Black**

**Magical Heir to the ****Most Noble and Ancient House of Slytherin**

******Magical Heir to the ****Most Noble and Ancient House of Peverell**

Meanwhile, the other parchment read...

**Name: Alexis Lily Potter**

**Blood Status: Half-Blood**

**Parents: James Charlus Potter and Lily Ann Potter (nee Evans)**

**Magical Guardian: Albus Brian Percival Wulfric Dumbledore**

**Godparents:**

**Sirius Orion Black (godfather/imprisoned)**

**Remus John Lupin (godfather/refused by Magical Guardian)**

**Lucius Abraxas Malfoy (godfather/refused by Magical Guardian)**

**Narcissa Malfoy nee Black (godmother/refused by Magical Guardian)**

**Andromeda Tonks nee Black (godmother/refused by Magical Guardian)**

**Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black (godmother/imprisoned)**

**Titles:**

**Heiress to the Most Noble and Ancient House of Potter**

**Heiress to the most Noble and Ancient House of Black**

**Magical Heiress to the ****Most Noble and Ancient House of Slytherin**

******Magical Heiress to the ****Most Noble and Ancient House of Peverell**

The twins glanced at each other, then up at Riddle. For the first time, anger sparked in their identical emerald eyes, and Riddle saw it, plain as day.

"We could have been taken from the Dursleys." said Alex, annoyance lacing her tone. "We could have been raised in the magical world."

"Who made this old coot our Magical Guardian?" Harry demanded, and Griphook shrunk a bit as the twins set their blazing eyes on him, each pair glowing brighter than the killing curse. Riddle raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Albus Dumbledore requested it personally." said Griphook.

_'How dare he? How DARE he?'_

_Calm yourself, sister. He'll pay when the time is right._

**_Harry is correct, my dear. Do not let your temper control you, it is unbecoming of a lady._**

_I say we let Professor Riddle take Dumb-as-a-door's place as our Magical Guardian._

_'Can we do that, Tom?'_

**_Yes, as long as my other self agrees._**

"We would like to remove Albus Dumbledore as our Magical Guardian - " began Alex.

"- and in turn, we request Professor Tom Marvolo Riddle to take his place." Harry finished. Riddle momentarily froze. How did they know his middle name?

"Well, Professor?" the twins chorused, gauging the man's reaction. Tom, regaining his composure, nodded.

"Very well. Albus Dumbledore is no longer the Magical Guardian to Harry James Potter and Alexis Lily Potter, and Mr. Tom Marvolo Riddle, Jr. shall take his place. So mote it be."

The text rewrote itself, removing Dumbledore's name permanently, and Riddle's name now written in its place.

"We trust that Dumbledore will not be notified of this?" Harry raised an eyebrow at the goblin, and Griphook nodded. They all left Gringotts after collecting money from the Potter's Trust Vault, and more questions flooded Riddle's head.

* * *

The twins both knew how confused Riddle was, and were both cackling in their heads. He was the only one who suspected them, that was certain. The twins were both charming, and they knew it, using it to their advantage. Riddle knew this as well.

"**They're going to be Slytherins, I just know it.**" he hissed quietly to himself, but the twins still managed to hear.

"**We shall take that as a compliment, Professor.**" Harry hissed back to him, making Riddle pause in his tracks.

"**However,**" Alex added, "**We have plans - plans that require the trust of many in order for us to achieve, and it shall be harder to accomplish if we were to be in Slytherin.**"

"You speak Parseltongue?" Riddle asked, shocked.

"**YESSS.**" the twins hissed with a smirk, and walked into the Magical Menagerie to get an owl. Tom had been more than surprised when the twins left with two owls, Hedwig and Midnight, and a snake familiar which they had named Kronos.

When they had entered Ollivander's, the twins immediately caught the magical aura that surrounded the shop, and relished the feeling. A grin made its way onto Harry's lips, and Alex closed her eyes in bliss, both letting the magic engulf them. Mr. Ollivander made his way to the front of the shop and paused. He could feel the children's magical cores, and they weren't as light as they had expected them to be. In fact, it was dark - almost as dark as Tom Riddle's. Their magic surrounded them like a shield. They were indeed, powerful.

"Young Lord and Lady Potter, I was wondering when I would be seeing you." said Mr. Ollivander. The twins gave a curt nod in acknowledgement.

"Ah… Mr. Riddle. I remember giving you your first wand. That was... a long time ago…" Mr. Ollivander said, and the twins raised an eyebrow.

"He doesn't look that old, Mr. Ollivander." said Alex, though there was a knowing glint in her and Harry's eyes.

Mr. Ollivander chuckled. "Of course, of course... Now, Young Lord Potter,why don't you go first?"

Harry nodded and held out his right arm. Mr. Ollivander measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Lord Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."

"That will do," Mr Ollivander said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Lord Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. just take it and give it a wave."

Harry took the wand and waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once.

"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try —"

Harry tried — but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.

"No, no — here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out."

Alex chuckled as the pile of boxes grew in number, but Mr. Ollivander seemed happier at this.

"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere — I wonder, now — yes, why not — unusual combination — holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."

Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of green sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls.

When Alex took her turn, she didn't have to try as many wands, and she was relieved.

"Yes - well - ebony and phoenix feather, thirteen inches, rigid." Warmth spread throughout her body, and white sparks shot from the end.

Tom duly noted that the sparks had been in Slytherin colors, and had the same core as his previous wand - before his double had taken it from him. Mr. Ollivander put Alex's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious… curious…"

"Sorry," said Alex, "but _what's _curious?"

She and Harry weren't stupid. She already knew the reason - Tom had told them all about it. But it would be best if they kept up the clueless, innocent appearances for now.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Lady Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather — just two others. One resides in your brother's wand. It is very curious indeed that you two should be destined for this wands when their brother — why, their brother gave you those scars."

Now, Riddle didn't really know what to say, while the Horcrux within the twins' mind was chuckling.

* * *

**I know it isn't much, but please give it a chance. Anyways, please review!**

**~Cassandra**


	3. Year 1 - The House of Snakes

**And here's the next chapter. For future reference, I'll be calling the real Tom, Riddle from now on. You'll see why, because this is where everything gets confusing. Eh, I've also decided to make triad pairings. Why? Because I want to, and it just sits well with the story.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter; it all belongs to J.K Rowling and Warner Brothers Inc. However, I do own Alex.

**Pairings:** Hermione Granger/Harry Potter/Elladora Lestrange (Triad), Draco Malfoy/Alex Potter/Tom Riddle Jr. (Triad), mentions of Blaise Zabini/Daphne Greengrass

_Harry's thoughts_

_'Alex's thoughts'_

_Both Harry and Alex's thoughts_

**_Horcrux Tom's thoughts_**

**"Parseltongue"**

* * *

Another month passed, and the twins found themselves in King's Cross Station. The Dursleys had been more than happy to get rid of them. No twins meant no threats for ten months, no "accidental" magic, and no killings. The twins nearly laughed as their relatives practically fleed from the station. Tom had told them to run through the barrier between the platforms, and they did so, albeit a bit hesitantly.

There it was; the large scarlet train that clearly read Hogwarts express. Harry and Alex felt excited; they would get to meet more people like them, so long as they weren't "mudbloods" as Tom had told them.

As they seated themselves within one of the empty compartments, the twins thought of their plans for the year - their revenge on Dumbledore. Now where should they start?

_**You must gain allies, especially the more powerful and influential witches and wizards.**_

_'But how do we get them to fight for our cause?'_

_Everyone thinks we are light wizards fighting on Dumbledore's side - manipulative bastard._

_'Language, brother.'_

Again, Tom was chuckling in their heads, finding their bickering somewhat amusing. Then, the compartment door slid open. A boy with platinum blonde hair and silver eyes stood there, flanked by two large boys who resembled gorillas. Alex and Harry looked up at him, their expressions contorted into one of boredom.

Then, Alex felt it. The boy's magic washed over her like a tidal wave, and she was engulfed in an extremely pleasurable sensation, even more so than when she felt the magic in Ollivander's shop.

Tom was now cackling. _**My, my, my... a soul bond already?**_

_'W-What? But aren't I too young?'_

**_Age doesn't matter in a soul bond, my dear. I'd give it a week before young Harry finds his soul mate as well._**

Harry ignored Tom's jeers. "Can we help you?" he asked the boy.

"Mind if we sit here?" the blonde boy drawled. "Every other compartment is crawling with mudbloods and blood traitors."

"Go ahead." Alex smirked. The blonde boy turned to her, and Alex could have sworn that he shivered when her magic tentatively reached out to him. "I'm Alex, by the way. Alex Potter. And this - " Alex nodded in Harry's direction, "- is my twin brother, Harry."

The blonde boy strode over to her and gently took her hand, "A pleasure," he purred, planting a soft kiss on the back of Alex's hand. "I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."

He nodded to Harry in greeting, and took the seat next to Alex, and the two gorilla-like boys on either side of Harry. "This is Crabbe, and Goyle." Draco pointed to each boy in turn, and the two grunted in greeting.

Harry leaned back, running a hand through his already messy hair, and a lazy smirk graced his lips, "So... a Malfoy? I must say, I'm rather impressed with your father's position in the Dark Lord's inner circle."

Draco stiffened in his seat, fearing the worst. After all, it was Voldemort who killed their parents. "He was under the Imperious."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "That's what they all say. But I understand your hesitation in telling us the truth."

"What - ?"

"We're not as light as you think." said Harry, his insides twisting with glee as he saw Draco's stunned expression. "Contrary to popular belief, the Potters were actually a dark family. Dumb-as-a-door manipulated and controlled our parents into joining his side and let Voldemort kill them, assuming it would fulfill the stupid prophesy made by that fraud, Trelawney."

Alex hummed in agreement, "I bet he's planning to kill us if we did defeat the Dark Lord and take credit for it all. I can't wait to see the look on the old fool's face when he finds out that his precious 'golden children' have turned to the dark."

"As it should be." Harry nodded and turned to the Malfoy Heir. "What do you say, Draco? Will you join us?"

Draco glanced between them hesitantly. "Are you going to join the Dark Lord?"

Harry shrugged. "Perhaps. If all goes well, we will become his allies. I refuse to be under anyone's command."

"I don't know..." It was obvious that Draco still didn't believe they were dark. He was afraid that he would pledge his loyalty to the wrong side.

_**Prove to him that you are as dark as you claim. He wants proof; let him feel your magic.**_

Harry glanced at Alex and met her eyes. _Sister, I believe a bit more persuasion is required. He will be very useful to us if we were to have him as an ally._

_'Of course, brother. I shall deal with it.'_

Alex leaned towards Draco, her lips close to his ear, and let her magic reach out to him. Draco shivered at the pleasure that overwhelmed him, and the feel of Alex's breath in his ear.

"Draco..." she whispered, making him shiver again. She could sense his magical core now. It was dark. Very dark. Delicious. "Can we trust you?"

Draco gulped, "I - I..."

She draped her arm lazily over his shoulder, and rested her head at the crook of his neck. "You don't have to fear about going against your father. We do not intend to fight Voldemort's circle." she murmured to him. "You sense my magical core, do you not?"

Draco shakily nodded, closing his eyes in bliss as Alex wrapped her magic around him.

"I can feel your magical core too, you know." Alex smiled wickedly, "Dark... almost black. Simply intoxicating."

Harry watched as his sister unknowingly seduced the Malfoy Heir with amusement and a sense of protectiveness. No doubt that Draco felt their magical bond and was submitting to Alex's magic, but if the blonde boy would ever dare to hurt her, he would pay dearly, with his life if needed be.

_**You don't have to worry about that. With the bond, he can never stand to see her hurt. He would also be much more willing to join you now.**_

_How so?_

**_If I'm correct, Alex is the dominant in their bond; he would do anything to please her._ **Tom said with what only could be described as humor lacing his tone.** _I almost pity the Malfoy boy._**

_'Oh, hush Tom.'_

Harry and Tom both chuckled at her annoyance.

"Now Draco, will you be a good little boy?" Alex cooed in his ear. There was a violent shudder in the depths of the twins' minds. _**Careful Alex, you're starting to sound like Bellatrix Lestrange.**_

_'Is that a good thing or a bad thing?'_

_**I'm not entirely sure.**_

When Draco didn't answer, Alex pulled away from him. The young Malfoy nearly whimpered at the loss of contact, when Alex placed herself gingerly on his lap. His molten silver eyes met her emerald ones, and he found himself unable to look away. She dragged her hand up his arm and around his neck, before moving to grip his gelled blonde locks, effectively messing it up.

None-too-gently, she pulled his head down and held it close to hers, their foreheads resting against each others'. Their noses were touching, and their lips were mere centimeters apart. It took everything Alex had to not just smash her lips against his, yet the idea was extremely tempting. She briefly wondered if he tasted just as enticingly sweet and minty as he smelled.

Draco quivered, his senses too, were on overdrive. He could feel Alex's hot breath against his lips, and the scent of cherries and licorice wafted along his nostrils, and there was the tightening feeling in his pants that he wasn't sure an eleven year-old boy should be feeling.

Harry had to restrain himself from pouncing on the two and wrenching his sister off the blonde boy. Tom's laughter was not helping at all.

"Answer me, Draco." Alex demanded in a hiss, her grip on his hair tightening, "Will you be a good little boy now?"

Draco moaned, he loved how rough she was being,"Y-Yes, I-I'll be good."

Power pulsed through Alex's veins. She loved the control she had over the boy. And with the bond, she was certain, that the control she had would not waver. His magic was sealed with hers, and she relished the feel of it - the feel of his submission, his obedience.

"You're bonded to me you know." said Alex with a glint in her eyes. Draco and his magic had recognized the soul bond. In truth, she was pleasantly surprised that he had merely accepted. One would think that a Malfoy of all people would put up a fight.

_**It's happened before. Abraxas Malfoy is not as commanding as one may think.**_

Harry mentally snorted, _And how would you know that?_

**_He was one of my first followers. I knew about his soul bond, but him being the submissive one came of a shock to me._**

Alex leaned in ever so slightly and nipped at Draco's bottom lip, making him gasp. "You're mine, got it? _Only mine_." she hissed, almost possessively, earning another throaty moan from Draco.

"Yours." he agreed instantly, "I'm yours."

Alex finally withdrew her magic, sealing it, and pulled away from Draco with a satisfied look on her face, ignoring the protest in his eyes. The twins watched as as Draco took a deep breath and attempted to recompose himself, molten silver eyes glancing between the twins with a new sense of respect - and more than the slightest bit of admiration.

"Will you join us?" Harry asked again, this time with an air of confidence.

"I will." Draco breathed, staring down at Alex with undisguised longing.

Alex turned away at the pleading look in his eyes - like a puppy begging to be petted. "You might want to fix your hair." she simply told him, and Draco was quick to comply.

Harry glanced between the two boys on either side of him, who both had turned away as soon as the scene between Alex and Draco started. "What about you two?"

The buffoons merely grunted, and both twins took that as a yes.

_**Your first**** followers.**_ Tom mused, _**I'm proud of you, my serpents.**_

* * *

"Potter, Alexis!"

Whispers erupted amongst the crowd of students, and it irked the twins to no end.

"Potter, did she say?"

"_The _Alexis Potter?"

"Isn't Harry Potter here as well?"

How they wished they could pull out their wands, torture each nosy student in the hall to the brink of insanity. Sadly, that would ruin their perfect image, and they simply couldn't have that.

Alex strode towards the stool with an almost inhuman grace, an air of confidence around her like a true pureblood heiress. She ignored the students' curious eyes on her, and dumbledore's penetrating ones. She nearly snarled at the sight of him. Stupid old goat.

Tom put up the Occlumency shields within certain parts of the twins minds, concealing himself from their thoughts as the hat was dropped over Alex's head.

"_Well, well... what have we here?_" the hat's voice mused in her head. "_Plenty of courage, I see, and intelligence beyond your age... And what's this? Ambitious are you? Sly and cunning... I know just the place to put you._"

_'You stupid hat, you'll ruin all our plans!'_ Alex mentally hissed.

The hat chuckled, "_I believe you can make due, Lady_ _Potter._"

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat cried out. The hall fell silent and McGonagall - along with many other teachers - paled. Then, the farthest table on the right, students wearing green and silver tied burst into applause. Alex decided then, being placed it Slytherin was worth it, as she took one glance at Dumbledore's face. He looked absolutely horrified, like all his well-laid out plans came crashing down on him at once.

_'Which it has,'_ Alex thought triumphantly as she approached the Slytherin table and took the empty seat next to Draco, and a girl she recalled as Elladora Lestrange. She duly noted that the girl would be a good ally in the near future.

"Potter, Harry!" The hall fell silent once more, as Harry sauntered to the stool. A new hope lit Dumbledore's eyes. Alex knew what he was thinking; he was hoping Harry would end up in another house - preferably Gryffindor.

Alex watched the sorting anxiously. Surely, the hat would separate them?

"_Greetings, Lord Potter._" said the hat, "_I must say, I've never seen such great minds since the founders and Tom Riddle. You would do well in all the houses, but I believe Slytherin would best suite you. what do you say?_"

_You ruined everything you know. _Harry told the hat bitterly. _No one outside of Slytherin would trust us. We've lost our chances in gaining followers outside the house of snakes._

The hat was merely amused by this. "_That is what you think, Lord Potter. But trust me when I say that Slytherin House will be your key to greatness. You will be able to surround yourselves with purebloods whose names carry great value in the wizarding world. Are you willing to pass up a chance such as this?_"

Harry thought long and hard, and finally, his emerald eyes caught a glimpse of his twin's matching pair. She was afraid, he knew - afraid that he would leave her in favor of taking revenge in his own hands.

No, he'd never do that. Not to her.

_I've decided._

Harry could practically feel how smug the hat was at his declaration. "_I'm glad you see it my way._" Harry would have snapped at the hat, if the infuriating piece of fabric hadn't opened his large mouth and shouted,

"SLYTHERIN!"

There it was. The last ray of hope the light side possessed, their chances of winning the war against Voldemort - gone. Dumbledore was angry - no, he was furious! How dare these children ruin his plans for fame and glory?

The Slytherins applauded once more as Harry moved to sit between Alex and Elladora, and held her hand under the table. Alex smiled at him - a real smile, no matter how faint it was.

When the sorting was over, Riddle couldn't help but smirk with pride as he watched Harry conversing with Elladora Lestrange, more than a few Slytherin girls eyeing him from afar. Alex on the other hand was speaking with the Malfoy and Zabini Heirs, the former gazing at her with rapt attention. Riddle shook off the feeling in his chest at the sight. The Potters were much like him, he was sure of it. Darkness lurked beneath their masks of innocence, and the power they held - he could put it all to good use. They would be on his side, he knew. The enraged look in Dumbldore's usually twinkling, manipulative blue eyes was just an added bonus.

* * *

**I know it isn't much, but please give it a chance. Anyways, please review!**

**~Cassandra**


	4. Year 1 - Albus Dumbledore

**And here's the next chapter. For future reference, I'll be calling the real Tom, Riddle from now on. You'll see why, because this is where everything gets confusing. Eh, I've also decided to make triad pairings. Why? Because I want to, and it just sits well with the story.**

**Review responses:**

**lostfeather1** - I agree. I actually have their first few followers picked out.

**bkasavan** - Yeah, Dumbledore knew Tom was Voldemort, but apparently everyone else believes Tom to be better than his double, "the good one" out of the two if you will, therefore Dumbledore didn't have a choice but to hire him. It would make him look bad if he didn't.

**Le Diablo Blanc2** - Thank you, I appreciate the compliment.

**Cheshire-the-Assassin** - Thank you. There aren't many stories like these, I assumed that people didn't really like these types of stories, but I greatly appreciate the support.

**sharonpijl** - Yes, Elladora is Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange's daughter. Alex will be paired with Professor Riddle, but their romance doesn't progress until much later, since Tom would most likely try to deny the bond between them. XD

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews guys, I really appreciate them.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter; it all belongs to J.K Rowling and Warner Brothers Inc. However, I do own Alex.

**Pairings:** Hermione Granger/Harry Potter/Elladora Lestrange (Triad), Draco Malfoy/Alex Potter/Tom Riddle Jr. (Triad), mentions of Blaise Zabini/Daphne Greengrass

_Harry's thoughts_

_'Alex's thoughts'_

_Both Harry and Alex's thoughts_

**_Horcrux Tom's thoughts_**

**"Parseltongue"**

* * *

The next day, Alex sat at the Slytherin table next to Draco, munching on a roll as she listened to the incoherent chatter of her peers. Draco had introduced her to Theodore Nott, whom she took an immediate liking to much to Draco's chagrin. The boy was book smart and an excellent strategist if his chess games were anything to go by. Blaise Zabini on the other hand, had influence. He was witty and clever; shame his family was neutral.

_'But I plan to change that.'_ Alex thought as she discreetly eyed the dark-skinned boy seated across Draco.

Harry arrived a few minutes later, taking a seat on Alex's right with a rather sadistic smile on his face. Alex was quick to notice and set down her fork, eyeing her brother's face critically.

"What?" Harry asked upon seeing the look.

"You're look cheery." Alex remarked somewhat suspiciously, "Who died and why wasn't I told?"

Harry rolled his eyes, "So I can't just be happy for no reason?"

"No." Alex spoke the same time Tom had thought it. "Now tell me what's really going on. If you don't, Tom might be more than happy at the opportunity to snitch on you." She said the last part in a whisper, as to not be overheard.

"Fine, fine," Harry relented. "Dumbledore caught up to me on the way to the Great Hall - took me to his office and started blabbering how I was in the wrong house and some other rubbish like that - tried to get me to consider being resorted."

On Alex's other side, Draco listened intently with Blaise, along with Theodore and Daphne Greengrass, who sat across Harry and Alex respectively. Harry shared a dorm with Draco, Blaise and Theodore, and he too, had decided the last two would be good candidates for their little group.

Alex too, shared a dorm with Daphne Greengrass, along with Millicent Bulstrode and Pansy Parkinson. They were all such gossips, and it irked Alex to no end. The brunette was somewhat of a ditz, but she had connections.

Draco smirked, "Idiot."

"What did you tell him?" asked Theodore.

"That I didn't want to be resorted." Harry shrugged, "He took it pretty badly."

_**Understatement, my boy. He was**** furious.**_ Tom chuckled

"Judging by the look on his face after you two were sorted into Slytherin, I'd say that's an understatement." Blaise smirked.

_**I like this**** kid**._

_Shut up, Tom._

"Why do you think I'm happy right now?" Harry said cheekily, a satisfied look on his face as he helped himself to some treacle tart.

"Speak of the devil," Alex's eyes narrowed as she looked over Harry's shoulder. The four teens turned to where she was looking, and they saw Dumbledore himself walking down the Slytherin table - to where they were sitting. He looked almost happy, and it worried them.

"Alexis, my dear girl,"

Upon hearing her full name, anger flashed in Alex's eyes, yet she offered Dumbledore a charming smile. "Yes, Professor?"

She immediately felt something poking at her mind barriers, but she pushed it back with a bit of Tom's help. Surprise clouded Dumbledore's eyes, before it was quickly replaced with the usual mischievous twinkle.

"I just wanted to see how you were getting along with your fellow Slytherins."

The twins resisted the urge to sneer at the foolish man. Alex maintained her smile, while Harry looked on indifferently. "Oh, it's brilliant Professor! Everyone's been so nice, and Draco's been introducing us to some of his friends. Isn't that right, Draco?"

A red tint appeared on the blonde boy's cheeks as Alex rested her hand on top of his, all the while smiling sweetly at him. Blaise, Theodore, Daphne and Harry had to keep themselves from snickering at the look on his face. Tom was chuckling at Alex's antics; she had always been the more outspoken one.

Draco nodded, "That's right,"

If Dumbledore was angry, he had done a fair job in hiding it, but the six could practically feel the rage and annoyance rolling off him in waves. "May we continue our breakfast now, sir?" Harry asked plainly, and Dumbledore gave a slight nod.

"Very well, Mr. Potter. Now I do believe you have Transfiguration in ten minutes, best not be late." He said this somewhat smugly and proceeded to the Head's table.

"What I'd give to curse that triumphant look off that coot's face." commented Elladora , a third year Slytherin, from Daphne's left. "I'd like to see that manipulative bastard get what's coming to him."

There were nods for agreement from those who've heard the statement and witnessed the exchange between Dumbledore and the twins - mostly children of Death Eaters, they noted.

"And how determined are you?" Harry leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. The girl had a dark aura surrounding her, and it drew him in. Even last night, at the feast, he had noticed the Dark Magic that engulfed her, and he felt almost... relaxed at the feel of it. The girl herself intrigued him, being the child of two of the Dark Lord's most dangerous and loyal followers.

"Very," Elladora's dark eyes - which were almost coal black, Harry noted - met his and a rather sinister, maniacal smile spread across her face. Here, Tom could truly see the resemblance between the young Slytherin and Bellatrix Lestrange. Apparently insanity runs in the family.

"Well then, we have much to discuss." Alex drawled, eyes dragging along the four across from her calculatingly.

"Meet us in the common room at eleven o'clock tonight." Said Harry, a slight sharpness To his usually calm tone, "And do _not_ be late."

* * *

Transfiguration had been a bore. McGonagall was head of Gryffindor house, and very talented in her field. She was an accomplished animagus, which said a lot on its own. It really was a pity that she was loyal to Dumbledore. She also seemed as wary of the Slytherins as the rest of her house.

"And they say she doesn't take sides." Daphne muttered bitterly as she watched McGonagall smile at a girl with bushy hair seated up front, being the one of the first to change her toothpick into a needle - the other one being Harry. "She didn't even acknowledge you."

Harry hummed in thought as his gaze settled on the girl with the untamable brown hair.

_'Interesting...'_

_Aren't you supposed to be paying attention in History of Magic, Alex?_

_'Binns just left; and Theo and I are rather bored.'_

_I see._

_'The witch with the nest for a hair, isn't she a muggleborn?'_

_Yes, I believe she is. Yet, she has potential._

_'Despite her sickening light core, I'd have to agree. Talk to her, brother, there may be a chance to turn her yet.'_

"Harry, class is over." Daphne's voice broke through the mental conversation, and Harry nodded. He gathered his things and moved to follow his fellow Slytherins out the classroom, but not before casting the muggleborn girl one last glance. Indeed, he would speak with her later.

Potions had been considerable amusing. Snape had stormed into the dungeon with a scowl on his face. The twins could only imagine the surprise he felt upon seeing Alex seated next to Draco, the latter almost smiling at her; and behind them was Harry seated next to Blaise Zabini, looking almost - dare he say - excited.

Snape observed them both. The boy was a spitting image of his father, yet he didn't seem to display any of James Potter's arrogance. The girl looked almost exactly like her mother, only with her father's hair color. And the eyes... they both had _her_ eyes - Lily's eyes, yet it held none of her warmth. There was something beneath those eyes - something he couldn't quite decipher. Surprisingly enough, neither twin reminded him of Lily or James.

When he had reached their names at the role call, he paused and sneered. "Harry and Alexis Potter - our new _celebrities_." He noticed how the twins' eyes settled on him; they were unreadable, not like he had expected. Neither talked back or insulted him - they simply stared. A chill ran down his spine as he continued with his role call.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making" he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, yet the students caught every word he spoke.

"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death. If you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." he finished.

The twins exchanged a look, an eyebrow raised. Upon seeing this, Snape immediately called on them. "Potter! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"A very powerful sleeping Potion - "

" - known as the Draught of Living Death." the twins answered, their masks not once faltering.

Snape blinked, momentarily in shock, before sneering again. "A lucky guess. Let's try again. Where would you find a bezoar?"

"In the stomach of a goat." Harry and Alex chorused without hesitation. Snape didn't know whether to be impressed or annoyed. When amusement finally flashed in the twins' emerald eyes, he settled for annoyed.

"What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" he snapped.

"They're the same plant, sir - "

" - also known as aconite."

Tom was laughing at the utter aggravation on his follower's face.

"Well? Why aren't you all copying this down?" he snapped. Quickly, everyone rushed to take out parchment and quills, and he ignored the twins for the remainder of the lesson, save for when they both submitted a perfectly done Boil Cure potion.

Finally, it was the last class of the morning, and that was Defense Against the Dark Arts with Gryffindor. Professor Riddle stood in front of the class with his assistant, Professor Quirrel. The twins payed more attention to the latter; there was something off about him - rather, something off about his turban. It emitted dark energy.

"A curse, you think?"Alex muttered to Harry and Draco, who were on either side of her. Blaise, Theodore and Daphne in front of them.

"I doubt it." Harry mumbled, his hand itching to reach for the scar on his forehead. "I seriously doubt it." Tom seemed to be shifting uncomfortably in their heads, and it made them wonder.

Throughout the lesson, Professor Riddle sent glances their way - both were looking curiously at Quirrel. He swore, for a moment, that their eyes flashed crimson.

* * *

**Sorry if this chapter was a bit boring, but it'll get more exciting when the others get to join the group.**

**~Cassandra**


	5. Year 1 - Mind Games

**The next chapter for you all. I know this story is more than a bit confusing with all the twists, but all shall be explained in this chapter when the twins confront Blaise, Theo, Daphne and Elladora.**

**Also, I do have a reason for making triad pairings. I know how many of you have read stories where there is "unconditional love" in triad pairs, but not here. Here, it's more of a power play, a game of manipulation and fight for dominance kind of thing at first. The characters won't fall in love right away, it would simply develop over time, like a real relationship should.**

**Review responses:**

**bkasavan** - Quirrel's just an assistant. I forgot to put that in, I thought I did though.

**Cheshire-the-Assassin** - Thank you! You just gave me an idea for a brilliant one-shot! :D

**sharonpijl** - Thanks, I really enjoyed writing the twin talk. As for the dark humor, it has it's own appeal, yeah?

**The reviewer** - I figured it would be a bit too easy if Hermione was already evil. Since she is in Gryffindor and has more "light" influences, the relationship between her and the Slytherins would take more time to develop. It would seem more realistic that way. As for the twins' agenda, they plan to gather followers and overthrow Dumbledore. If possible, form a pact with Voldemort - blood doesn't really matter to them. They'd be hypocrites otherwise. And for my reason of triad pairings, it's on the author's not above. XD But anyways, I appreciate your review.

**Curious** - I think people write harem fics with "true uncontainable love" for entertainment. I did a tried here because I'm trying to throw off all those typical triad fics involving "unconditional love". You can't simply make the characters love each other because they're bonded, it still has to be developed. Again, my reason is on the author's note above. :)

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews guys, I really appreciate them.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter; it all belongs to J.K Rowling and Warner Brothers Inc. However, I do own Alex.

**Pairings:** Hermione Granger/Harry Potter/Elladora Lestrange (Triad), Draco Malfoy/Alex Potter/Tom Riddle Jr. (Triad), mentions of Blaise Zabini/Daphne Greengrass

_Harry's thoughts_

_'Alex's thoughts'_

_Both Harry and Alex's thoughts_

**_Horcrux Tom's thoughts_**

**"Parseltongue"**

* * *

It was only during Flying class after lunch that things got a bit more interesting, and not to mention hectic. The Gryffindors and Slytherins had formed lines facing each other, Harry standing between Alex and Blaise, and in front of them were Ron Weasley, Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas. The twins merely raised an eyebrow when the redhead cast them a rather nasty look. What was up his arse?

"Good afternoon class." said their flying instructor, Madam Hooch. She had white hair and unique amber eyes.

"Good afternoon, Madam, Hooch." the class chorused.

"Welcome to your first flying lesson. Well, what are you waiting for? Stick your right hand over the broom and say 'up'." Everyone did as instructed.

"Up!" the twins chorused, and their brooms immediately shot to their hands, as did Blaise and Draco's. They smirked at each other. The muggleborn's - Hermione Granger, they learned her name was - merely rolled on he ground, and Weasley's didn't move at all.

"UP!" he yelled, and his broom shot up, smacking him clean on the face. The Slytherins were snickering, and Weasley glared at the lot of them.

"When I blow my whistle, all of you kick of the ground. Hard. One... two..." but before Madam Hooch could blow her whistle, Longbottom began to rise from the ground. His broom went berserk, flying around the castle until he fell off. His robes hung by a statue on one of the towers and he ended up having a broken risk as he fell to the ground.

"Everyone is to keep their feet firmly to the ground while I take Mr. Longbottom to the hospital wing. If I see a single broom in the air, the one riding it will be out of Hogwarts faster than you can say 'Quidditch'." With that, she left with the boy in tow.

Alex sighed, "Shame. I thought he would have been useful." She murmured to Harry, who shrugged.

"Its too early to judge, sister." He whispered back.

Then, Pansy Parkinson let out a shrill laugh one Madam Hooch was out of earshot. It was like nails raking off a chalkboard, and caused many to wince at the sound of it. She picked up Longbottom's rememberall with a taunting smile towards the Gryffindors.

"Did you see his face?" she mocked, the rememberall held up for everyone else to see, "Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze, he would have remembered to fall on his fat arse." Only a fair few Slytherins laughed, the rest looking like they could care less, while all of the Gryffindors were unamused.

"Shut up, Parkinson." snapped Parvarti Patil. Pansy and her cronies - Millicent Bulstrode and Tracy Davis - cackled in response. The twins shared another look at this.

Alex tilted her head in question, ever so slightly. _'Should we, brother?'_

_It's a golden opportunity, sister._

_'But, why?' _Alex eyes the students in scarlet and gold ties with distaste. For some odd reason, Slytherins had the most dangerous classes with Gryffindors - Flying being one of them, along with Potions, Charms, Transfiguration and DADA - and the opposing house had done nothing but stir up trouble. They were awfully rowdy and reckless.

_**Just imagine how Dumbledore would feel - his own lions turning against him. There would be no sweeter form of betrayal.**_

Harry saw Alex purse her lips - partially in annoyance, and partially in resignation, and she gave a small nod. As Harry stepped forward, Alex followed close behind. "Are you sure you're not just eager to get closer to that muggleborn Granger?" she hissed quietly to him, watching in mirth as Harry's eyes widened a fraction, and briefly turning to glare at her. Alex chuckled, before directing her attention to the still taunting Pansy Parkinson.

"Give it here, Pansy." said Harry. It wasn't loud, but everyone fell silent and turned to stare at the twins with wide eyes as they heard Harry speak.

"What?" Pansy snapped, "What did you just say?"

"Are you deaf?" Alex raised an eyebrow. "He asked you to give him the rememberall - and while you're at it, quit this childish attitude. It's obnoxious people like you who give this noble house a bad name." Murmurs ran through both parties, anxiously eyeing the twins and the young Parkinson Heir. Pansy looked absolutely livid - her dark eyes blazing, cheeks red and pug-like nose scrunched up rather unattractively.

"How DARE you!" she shrieked. Millicent and Tracy immediately worked in calming their friend, with only little success. Huffing, Pansy brushed them off and hoisted herself onto her broomstick, sending a nasty smile to the twins. "How about I'll leave this somewhere for Longbottom to find. How does the roof sound?" And she kicked off the ground.

_'I'm starting to doubt this plan of yours, brother.' _Alex eyes her broom warily.

"What's the matter Potter, a bit beyond your reach?" Pansy continued to taunt.

Harry rolled his eyes as he and Alex mounted their brooms - the latter more uncertainly. Hermione boldly grabbed Alex by the sleeve, preventing her from kicking off the ground the same time as Harry did.

"What the hell, Granger?" Alex hissed angrily, shrugging off the girl's arm. Draco, Blaise, Daphne and Theo stepped forward as they saw this And flanked her in case Hermione decided to try anything.

"You'll get in trouble, Alexis. You can't do it!" Hermione protested, wincing when Alex's eyes narrowed dangerously. If her brother wasn't so interested in her...

_**Calm yourself, dear one. Remember what I told you about your temper...**_

"Shut up, you filthy mudblood." Draco sneered.

"Draco," Alex snapped in a warning tone, making the blonde - and companions - jump slightly. "Never say that disgusting word in front of me again. Understand?" To the surprise of the onlookers, Draco nodded in compliance despite the scathing look he sent Hermione's way.

Alex looked up and watched as Pansy threw the rememberall, and Harry immediately shot after it.

Harry saw, as though in slow motion, the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall. He leaned forward and pointed his broom handle down — next second he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball — wind whistled in his ears, mingled with the screams of people watching — he stretched out his hand — a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight, and he hovered in the air.

Harry raised himself a bit higher to where Pansy was still floating, stunned, but was immediately bombarded by rocks and he dropped the rememberall. Pansy took this as an opportunity and shot after it.

Alex quickly remounted her broom and kicked off before Hermione could stop her again. Pansy caught the rememberall, but Harry couldn't get it back as he was still bombarded by rocks. Alex quickly flew in front of him, and caught one rock in hand before throwing it back at Millicent and Tracy, hitting Millicent square in the chest and she stumbled. She then swerved the broom, using it like a bat to hit back a rock, knocking Pansy painfully on her forehead.

Pansy yelped in surprise and leaned backwards, right off her broom. Alex shot after her and caught her as she was about to hit the ground, both of them toppling down on the grass. Harry touched down after them, helping Alex to her feet.

Alex picked the rememberall off the grass, then sneered at Pansy. "Tell me again, why are you in Slytherin?"

"You're one to talk." Pansy retorted, returning the sneer. "You acted just as recklessly."

Harry snorted. "What you did, Parkinson, was out of stupidity - "

"- We merely proved a point." Alex finished.

"HARRY POTTER! ALEXIS POTTER!"

Neither Harry nor Alex flinched when Professor McGonagall and Professor Riddle came rushing down the field. Both were extremely furious. The twins' duly noted how Professor Riddle's eyes were glowing red.

"**What were you thinking? You could have fallen off fifty feet from the ground, crashed through the window... Are you both trying to kill yourselves?**" Riddle was so angry that he didn't realize he was hissing at them in Parseltongue. Neither twin answered.

"_Never _— in all my time at Hogwarts —" Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously,

"— how _dare _you — might have broken your necks —"

"It wasn't their fault, Professors —"

"Be quiet, Miss Greengrass —"

"But Parkinson —"

"That's _enough_, Mr. Malfoy. Potters, follow us, now. We shall have a word with Professor Snape about you both." Riddle snapped, he and Professor McGonagall leading the twins back up the castle.

Alex caught sight of Pansy's smug face and resisted the urge to sneer. She can't, not in McGonagall and Riddle's presence. She tossed the rememberall to Weasley, who hastily caught it. "Make sure to give it to Longbottom." He glared at her but nodded anyway.

Both Slytherin and Gryffindor stared after the twins' retreating backs - the latter unsure whether to feel triumphant or thankful.

"**For the record,**" Alex chided once McGonagall disappeared into Snape's classroom, leaving the twins and Riddle out in the corridor. "**It was all Harry's idea.**"

* * *

Professor Riddle was furious. Those cheeky Potter brats! How, in Salazar's name, were they not in Gryffindor? Then again, why did he care? The children were nothing but pawns in his plot, his soon-to-be followers - so why did their safety matter to him? His thoughts drifted to the Stone... Dumbledore - the old meddlesome coot - had purposely planted the Sorcerer's Stone in Hogwarts under supposedly heavy enchantments, yet refused to let him help. Riddle wasn't stupid, he knew the man was up to something, and that something surely involved the Potters.

The Potters were so much like him - recklessness aside - it was remarkable. He had seen them interact with the Slytherins at breakfast, and the confrontation with Dumbledore. He was immensely pleased at the fire in the old wizard's eyes when he seated himself at the head table. The dislike between them was apparent.

And there was still the matter of his other self. Voldemort. The snake-faced clone was not aware of the Potters' change in sides, and Riddle doubted he would care. His double was insane, ruthless, powerful... He had to find a way to merge themselves back and take control of his followers. If not, then Voldemort had to die so Riddle could take his place. If there was one thing Tom Riddle despised as much as Albus Dumbledore, it was competition.

Riddle sighed. He was competing with himself, how stupid.

* * *

"_Seeker_ _and_ _Chaser_? Are you two serious?" Blaise exclaimed for what seemed like the umpteenth time that night. News on the twins making the Quidditch team traveled rather fast in Slytherin, and the common room had been buzzing. Pansy, of course, whined and sulked at the unfairness of it all. Draco, too, had been moping about at first. Now the five first years - and Elladora - were alone in the common room, and Blaise still refused to let the matter go.

The twins shrugged.

"I was so sure we'd get in trouble." Said Harry a bit wistfully.

Alex smirked, "You do realize your plan to get the Gryffindorks to like us has failed. They'd probably be furious once they find out we made the team."

"Why would you want to be friendly with those scum?" Theo spat in distaste.

"Excellent question," Harry grinned predatorily, "Which brings us to the reason why we've summoned you four here."

"I'm sure you're all aware that my brother and I aren't exactly _light_." Alex mused, "That little episode with Dumblefuck at breakfast was an example."

**_Such foul language._ **Tom commented.

"In fact, the Potters are actually a dark family. However, Dumbledore's manipulations could only go so far before someone figures it out." Harry, Alex and Draco chuckled at the looks of surprise on their companions' faces.

"We've chosen you four to be a part of our... group." said Harry.

"And what does that entail?"

"Power, control," Alex listed, "Vengeance. We're taking Hogwarts from the inside, bit by bit - "

"- and Dumbledore won't know what hit him." Harry nodded.

"Does _he_ know about this?" Blaise asked tentatively.

Alex shrugged, "Voldemort - no; Dumbledore - maybe; Professor Riddle - he's probably caught on by now."

"You do realize how serious this claim is?" asked Elladora in disbelief.

"Yes," chorused the twins.

"So you two really are dark? No tricks?" Theo asked, suspicious.

"Yes,"

"Prove it," demanded Daphne.

Almost instantly, the twins released their magic. It was intoxicating, lulling hem into a sense of bliss. Elladora sighed and sunk into her seat, her own magic floating around her. This... This felt magnificent.

Harry raised an eyebrow at the Lestrange Heir and stood from his seat, approaching her cautiously. Elladora looked up at him, her eyes glazed and unfocused. Harry held out a hand to her, and she took it, relishing the feel of her magic intertwining with his.

Harry reached out with his other hand and tucked a loose strand of black hair behind Elladora's ear. The older girl shivered at the contact. Leaning over, Harry whispered so only she could hear, "You're mine."

Elladora nodded mutely in response.

_'So it's happened.'_ Alex cackled.

**_And it's only been a day. _**Tom added, equally - if not more - entertained.

Harry ignored them and withdrew his magic, Alex following with a smirk on her face. Draco's head was now rested on her lap, the blonde looking dazed as Alex idly stoked his cheek - not unlike a master would do to their pet if they were well-behaved.

"That was..." Blaise trailed off.

Daphne sighed, "Amazing."

"No more doubts? I must say, I'm surprised." Alex traced a sensitive spot below Draco's ear, and Draco let out a strangled noise.

Theo hummed, running a hand through his dark hair, "Anyone who can subdue a Malfoy and a Lestrange is good in my books. I'll join."

Subdue. That word just seemed so appealing - empowering.

"I, as well." chided Elladora, who'd finally regained her senses.

Blaise and Daphne looked unsure, and the rest understood why. Their families were neutral, and joining the twins would upset the balance. Then again, Dumbledore wasn't exactly 'light' was he? The man was just as manipulative as Voldemort; both sought power, fame, and control.

"You don't have to agree right away." Harry said in an almost comforting manner upon seeing their hesitation, his expression contorted into one of concern. "You could remain neutral; but if you ever decide to change your mind, we're here."

Alex nearly laughed as she detected the edge beneath her brother's dulcet tones, the dangerous glint in his eyes almost undetectable. It may not seem like it, but Harry was far better than Alex in their game of deceit. His mask almost never falters as he possessed the temperament that his sister clearly lacked. If Alex didn't know her brother as well as she did, she'd say that his concern was genuine.

She pursed her lips, "Indeed. But note that if you say anything to Dumbledore and his so-called 'light' companions, a simple Cruciatus would be the least of your worries."

For a second time that day, the twins' enchanting emerald eyes glowed a deadly crimson, and it stayed that way for the rest of the night.

* * *

**Again, sorry if it isn't much, but I'm getting there. If you guys have any suggestions feel free. Please review! More reviews equals faster updates, and possible longer chapters!**

**~Cassandra**


	6. Year 1 - Danger Granger

**Here's the next chapter for you guys! Who else shall I recruit? XD Still thinking on a proper name for their group. If you guys have any suggestions, feel free!**

**Review responses:**

**blakekeane** - I agree, but you'll just have to read to find out. X3

**mizzrazz72** - Indeed. Taking Hogwarts from the inside.

**ptl4ever419 **- It would be a while until he gets Hermione though. She is a Gryffindor, after all, and a smart one to boot. The twins value influence and intelligence.

**xXChild-Of-DemonXx - **I know! Even in the books, there really was no difference between Dumbledore and Voldemort. Sure they fight for different reasons, but they're both manipulative bastards as it turns out, putting someone else's life on the line for their own cause.

**jakefan - **I'm working on it. I'm not entirely sure where Hagrid would go, seeing as he's loyal to Dumbledore.

**lostfeather1 - **I hope you're patient then. XD The Alex/Riddle pairing would take a while before it actually develops. They're only eleven, you know.

**Cheshire-the-Assasin - **I really thank you for the encouragement, and I greatly appreciate it. The one-shot is quite long it's taking some time to work out the whole plot, but I'll be sure to PM you if I ever get it done. ;)

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews guys, I really appreciate them.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter; it all belongs to J.K Rowling and Warner Brothers Inc. However, I do own Alex.

**Pairings:** Hermione Granger/Harry Potter/Elladora Lestrange (Triad), Draco Malfoy/Alex Potter/Tom Riddle Jr. (Triad), mentions of Blaise Zabini/Daphne Greengrass

_Harry's thoughts_

_'Alex's thoughts'_

_Both Harry and Alex's thoughts_

**_Horcrux Tom's thoughts_**

**"Parseltongue"**

* * *

The next morning, Pansy was furious. She had expected them to get expelled, like Madam Hooch had said, or detention at the very least. But no...! Those Potters were still around, acting as if nothing had happened the previous day.

Harry sat at his usual spot at the middle of the Slytherin table, Alex to his right. Next to her was Draco, then Blaise, Theo and Daphne; and on Harry's left was Elladora. Draco, who noticed an absence at the Gryffindor table, began telling them all about the duel set-up he had the night prior. Apparently, he had tricked Ron Weasley, Seamus Finnigan, and Dean Thomas into meeting him at the trophy room, and tipped off Filch on where they were. While the group of Slytherins were having a meeting of sorts in the common room, the three clueless Gryffindors jumped in head first into a month's worth of detention.

"They actually expected you to show up?" Harry raised an eyebrow to Draco, who shrugged.

Alex hummed uninterestedly, "Gryffindor stupidity will never cease to amaze me."

"Speaking of Gryffindors, what of Granger?" piped Daphne.

"That's for Harry to decide." Alex said with a glance at her brother, who nodded. "I have no interest in the muggleborn. She may be smart, but she's lacking something."

As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by two long, thin packages carried by six large screech owls each. The twins glanced up, curious at the package, when owls soared down and dropped the packages in front of them, spilling more than considerable amount of food from their plates.

Harry snatched the note attached to his package, since Alex's didn't seem to have one.

_DO NOT OPEN THE PARCELS AT THE TABLE!_

_It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousands, but so not tell anybody it was I who sent it. I refuse to have more brats requesting brooms from me. Marcus Flint will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o' clock for your first training session._

_Do not be late._

_- Severus Snape_

"And to think I thought he hated us." Harry mused, and Alex snorted after she had read the note.

"Hey, listen to this!" said Theo in a hushed tone, drawing the group's attention to him. In his hand was the Daily Prophet; and judging by his shocked expression, it was something major. He placed the newspaper on the table, for all of them to see. "Someone had broken into Gringotts!"

_"Believed to be the work of dark wizards or witches unknown, Gringotts goblins while acknowledging the breach insist nothing was taken. The vault in question, number 713, had been emptied earlier that very same day."_

"Curious." commented Blaise. "Must be something extremely valuable or something very dangerous."

"Or both." chided Elladora. "Probably a dark artifact of some kind. It must be if the Dark Lord risked breaking into Gringotts."

"Not exactly a risk when it comes to Voldemort, Ella." said Harry, dismissing the subject.

Elladora peered at him curiously. "Ella?"

Harry shrugged. "Elladora is a mouth-full. Plus, it would be my term of endearment for you. Or do you prefer Dora?"

The Lestrange Heir looked faint, a giddy smile on her face. "Ella is just fine."

Finally, the group stood and separated. While Elladora made her way to Third-Year Tranfiguration, the twins dropped their newly acquired broomsticks at the Slytherin dorms on their way to Potions - Draco, Blaise, Theo and Daphne tailing them - with their minds still on the headline of today's Daily Prophet. Voldemort was on the move, they knew, and they weren't going to stop him - probably even help him in exchange for their alliance.

But first, they needed to find out about that package in Vault 713.

* * *

As seven o'clock drew nearer, Harry and Alex left the castle and set off towards the Quidditch pitch in the dusk, their new brooms in hand, and the rest of the group not too far behind them, chatting excitedly. Flint, a large fifth year boy with horrible teeth, and what appeared to be the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team, were already at the pitch, waiting.

As soon as they reached the pitch, Flint introduced the twins to the rest of the team. Flint was also one of Alex's fellow chasers, along with Adrian Pucey - a tall, dark haired third year. There were two beaters: Cassius Warrington and Crick Shabes, the latter formerly one of the chasers. Both were brawny and easilt towered over the twins. Miles Bletchely - a third year boy with dirty blonde hair tied to a pinytail - was keeper, and Harry was the seeker.

Overall, Alex was the only female on the team, and she duly noted this with a hint of satisfaction.

_**Which makes it more of an honor to be part of it, my little**** serpent.**_Tom had told her.

Flint had explained the basics and the rules. Now all they needed to work on was tactic. He started with Harry, pulling a bag of ordinary golf balls out of his pocket and a few minutes later, he and Harry were up in the air, Flint throwing the golf balls as hard as he could in every direction for Harry to catch. Harry didn't miss a single one. Then, he released the snitch from the crate.

The snitch moved quickly, making sharp turns so suddenly that it had Flint shifting uneasily on his broom as he turned to follow it and Harry.

Harry had no problem in spotting it, despite having his glasses to deal with. Everything was like it was in a slow motion picture. He could see how the snitch twitched as it was about to make a sharp turn. They were about eighty feet from the ground, when the snitch dove, Harry following closely behind. Fifty feet... thirty feet... ten feet...

Harry pulled up just as he was about to touch the ground, hand enclosing around the golden snitch as he did - he distinctly heard Daphne gasp from the sidelines. He pulled him broom higher, then hovered. When he finally turned to Flint for the older boy's approval, he saw that his captain was gaping, eyes wide.

Meanwhile, Pucey and Bletchley were lecturing Alex. "As a chaser, you need to be impulsive. Bludgers are unpredictable, and so are the opposing chasers. They don't always stick to the plays they practice. Something always goes wrong in Quidditch." Pucey told her.

Alex mounted her broom and kicked off, followed by Pucey and Bletchley. Pucey tossed her the quaffle, which she easily caught. The hard part now was getting it passed Bletchley. Alex shot of towards the stands, Pucey close behind as she swerved left and right, narrowly missing him as she slipped under his outstretched arm and headed towards the goal posts where Bletchley was waiting. Alex swerved towards the left goal post, purposely making an off shot. When Bletchley turned his broom and knocked the quaffle away, Alex quickly glanced at Pucey zooming after the quaffle and intercepted it halfway towards him. Swerving on her own broom, she knocked the quaffle straight through the middle hoop, missing Bletchley's fingers by a centimeter.

By the time practice was over, the whole team voiced their approvals. "Well done, Potters. I'm impressed." said Flint. "Same time every Tuesday and Thursday." And they left.

The group trudged back to the castle - Draco, Blaise and Theo talking jovially about the twins' practice. Harry's shoulders were stiff and Alex's hand twitched. They were being watched.

* * *

On Halloween morning, the twins were in a bitter mood. While the others were celebrating the holiday, they were honoring their parents' deaths. Even their little group had noticed the foul tension in the air and stayed clear of them - though there were times when Draco was being more than a little persistent. The twins curtly dismissed him each time.

When Charms rolled around, Alex's mood had somewhat lifted. She sat in her usual spot next to Theo at the Slytherin side of the room, both watching Weasley making a fool of himself in front of the muggleborn girl, Hermione Granger.

Alex had to suppress a sneer. Granger. She had long admitted to herself that the girl had power and intelligence, but that didn't mean Alex liked her. Granger was insufferable, and loved to flaunt her intelligence in the most annoying way possible, especially when it wasn't wanted. It was precisely why she had left her brother to deal with the chit. There was no doubt that Harry could easily charm the girl, and Alex was more likely to blow a fuse if the girl pushed her buttons a tad too far.

Theo sighed, boredly flicking his wand, "_Wingardium Leviosa!_"

The feather rose to an eye level before Professor Flitwick noticed it. "Oh, well done Mr. Nott!" Theo merely shrugged off the praise. Alex, who was equally bored, pointed her wand at Theo's floating feather.

"_Lacarnum Inflamarae," _Theo yelped as his feather caught on fire and was promptly reduced to ashes, making Alex smirk widely. Turning to her, Theo scowled at the seemingly innocent look she was giving him.

"_Wingardium Leviosa!_" Both Alex and Theo's heads snapped towards the Gryffindor side of the room as Weasley shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill.

"You're saying it wrong," They heard Granger snap. "It's Wing-_gar_-dium Levi-_o_-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."

"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Weasley snarled. Theo snorted and Alex raised an eyebrow. Surely Weasley wasn't that daft? Challenging Granger? He must be.

Granger rolled her eyes, and flicked her wand, "_Wingardium Leviosa!_"

The feather rose of the desk as Theo's had earlier, and floated four feet above their heads.

"Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"

At this, Alex narrowed her eyes at the tiny Professor and Theo grumbled to himself, his shoulders sagging the slightest bit and his eyebrows scrunched together. It was entirely different from his usually aloof expressions. Flitwick hadn't shown that much enthusiasm when Theo had accomplished the spell. Biased, these people were. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she whispered so only he could hear,

"Pay no attention to them, Theo. We'll show them one day."

Theo sighed and nodded. Alex eyes drifted from the fuming Weasley boy, to the knowledgeable muggleborn, her eyes lingering a bit longer on the swot with bushy brown hair. There was something bubbling beneath the annoyance... approval? Perhaps.

"It's no wonder no one can stand her," Harry heard Weasley rant to Dean Thomas later that day, as he and Draco pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly."

Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Granger. Harry caught a glimpse of her face — and was startled to see that she was in tears.

"I think she heard you." said Seamus Finnigan uneasily. It was about time those dolts noticed.

"So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."

"Nice going Weaselbee." Draco spoke snidely as he and Harry passed them in the corridor. The latter could feel the redheads burning stare at their backs. Harry could feel his anger rising. How dare that bumbling idiot make her cry? Then again, why did he care? The girl meant nothing to him; she was merely a pawn - his next recruit if he could.

He had to find Alex.

* * *

The female Potter grudgingly found herself entering the girl's bathroom later that day. She could hear Granger's muffled sobs as she entered at resisted the urge to snap - she never was patient... or lenient for that matter unless it involved Harry. Stupid Harry and his inability to enter a girl's bathroom.

"Granger?" she made her presence known and moved to stand in front of the sobbing girl. Granger was hugging her knees to her chest as she looked up at the young Slytherin with surprise. Her eyes were red and puffy, glitening with tears, and her cheeks were wet and flushed.

"A-Alex? What are you doing here? Sh-Shouldn't you be making f-fun of me with the other S-Slytherins?" Granger choked out. Alex hummed, and with the slightest hesitation, knelt beside the distressed Gryffindor.

"Granger, I'm going to be honest. I don't like you, but - " Alex gave the girl a fierce look when she opened her mouth to interrupt. She shut it immediately. "- my brother has developed some sort of fascination towards you. Who am I to stop him?"

"H-Harry?" Granger asked, her eyes wide. Alex's lip twitched.

_'Smart or not, she's innocent and easily swayed... so easily corrupted.'_ she mused. She knew Harry was listening, observing the scene through her eyes thanks to their connection with a sense of amusement.

Alex schooled her features before Granger noticed, and nodded. "Yes. Unlike Weasley, he knows the value of intelligence... and ambition." She smiled charmingly - the very smile that she and Harry used to gain what they wanted, yet no one ever saw through its pretense, making others fall into a a false sense of security, "If it were not for your blood, you would have made a fine Slytherin."

Then, loud footsteps echoed behind them.

At the same time, Harry was sitting with the other Slytherins, watching the images that flittered through his brain, before Alex's thoughts came to a halt, then - nothing. Harry straightened himself, his eyes a fraction wider in alarm, and Blaise was quick to notice the change in his friend's demeanor.

"What is it, Harry?" he asked, making the others turn to him questioningly.

As if on cue, the Great Hall doors burst open, and Professor Quirrell came sprinting in, his turban askew and terror written on his face. "Troll! Troll in the dungeons!" Everyone fell silent. "Thought you ought to know." he said, before slumping forward in a dead faint.

* * *

**Please review! More reviews equals faster updates, and possibly longer chapters!**

**~Cassandra**


	7. Year 1 - Trolls and Quidditch

**Here's the next chapter for you guys! Who else shall I recruit? XD Still thinking on a proper name for their group. If you guys have any suggestions, feel free!**

**Review responses:**

**The reviewer** - I think I've lengthened this chapter a bit, so yeah... And as for the soul bonds, I suppose they will learn to love their partners... eventually. After a couple of years or more maybe. But for now, Alex sees Draco as a plaything and Tom as nothing more than a Professor who was suspicious of them; and Harry sees Elladora as someone to control and Hermione as a fascinating species. XD

**Penny is wise** - I'll take your word for it. XD

**sharonpijl** - As always, I appreciate the review and honest opinion. :) Hermione would take some time to go dark. After all, no one made friends with her in Gryffindor since Harry wasn't in it, so there would be a change in her character. I originally planned to have Daphne, Harry and Elladora, but I didn't want to limit myself to just Slytherins. I actually like Hermione, when she isn't being a know-it-all - which Harry would take care of.

**RogueNya **- Agreed. Alex still doesn't like her though. XD She just deals with Hermione because of Harry, and somewhat thinks Hermione's knowledge is valuable.

**kary uchiha asakura 22** - Grazas. Fico feliz que disfrutara. Me desculpe, eu non son moi fluente no seu idioma. Tiven que empregar un tradutor.

**bkasavan** - Well, they're not in Gryffindor anymore, so it would be safe to say so. XD

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews guys, I really appreciate them.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter; it all belongs to J.K Rowling and Warner Brothers Inc. However, I do own Alex.

**Pairings:** Hermione Granger/Harry Potter/Elladora Lestrange (Triad), Draco Malfoy/Alex Potter/Tom Riddle Jr. (Triad), mentions of Blaise Zabini/Daphne Greengrass

_Harry's thoughts_

_'Alex's thoughts'_

_Both Harry and Alex's thoughts_

**_Horcrux Tom's thoughts_**

**"Parseltongue"**

* * *

Professor Riddle didn't want to admit that he was worried. When Dumbledore had called for silence and asked the prefects to lead their houses back to the dormitories, he felt a tinge of annoyance pricking him. Did the old fart not understand that the Slytherin dorms were _in_ the dungeons? He ignored Quirrel, who Riddle was well aware of being possessed by his other self, and strode towards Marcus Flint.

"Take the Slytherins to the Library." he ordered the burly fifth-year. "The dungeons may not be safe to approach as of now."

Flint nodded and turned to the group who bore green and silver ties. "Slytherins, stick together and stay close! We're moving to the Library! First years, don't get left behind!"

Speaking of the first years, Riddle exited the doors of the Great Hall, just in time to see two robes turn the corner. He had a pretty good idea of who those children were too.

Damn Potters.

* * *

Alex turned, and Hermione peeked over the ravenette's shoulder. They saw something stomp it's way into the bathroom, and Alex stiffened as she caught sight of large, greenish limbs, followed by the scent of sweaty socks and garbage disposal.

She mentally gagged. _'A troll? How could a troll get in?'_

**_Alex, get out of there! NOW!_**

Taking a hold of Hermione's hand, she slowly backed away towards the stalls. The troll then lifted its club. Alex turned to Hermione and roughly pushed her into a cubicle, shutting the door behind them just as the troll swung its club and smashed the cubicles to pieces. They barely had time to drop to the ground to avoid the blow. Hermione screamed in fright as fragments of wood fell around them, and Alex hissed.

"Alex, Granger - MOVE!"

Right on time. Harry and Theo came rushing into the bathroom, wands drawn. It wasn't the first time Alex had ever seen her brother so deadly. "_Flipendo!_"

Even for a first year spell, it was mighty useful, with the amount of power Harry had applied to it. The troll was knocked backwards from the force of Harry's spell, landing on his bum not too far from the girls. Alex hauled up a shaking Hermione, pulling her towards the boys. She then shoved the bushy-haired girl into Harry's arms. The troll stood again and stomped towards them, making the floor tremble slightly, lifting its club as it went. Two wands were pointed.

"_Wingardium Leviosa!_" Theo swish and flicked his wand, and the club suddenly out of the troll's hand, rose high, high up into the air.

Alex finally pulled out her wand and pointed it at the troll as it continued to move for them, even without its bat. "_Petrificus Totalus!"_

The troll's arms and legs snapped together as the club floating above turned slowly over — and dropped, with a sickening crack, onto its owner's head. The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.

It was Granger who spoke first after a moment's silence.

"Is it — dead?"

"No," said Harry, pocketing his wand, "It's just been knocked out."

The others began to put their wands back in their robes as well. As Alex pocketed hers, she complimented Theo on his brilliant use of the levitation spell, to which the lanky boy smirked proudly at.

A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the four of them look up. Of course, someone downstairs must have heard the crashes and the troll's roars. Not long after, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, with Quirrell bringing up the rear, and a red-eyed Professor Riddle. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart.

The Slytherins had to keep themselves from sneering at the pathetic man, but Harry and Alex let out low hisses. There it was again - the faint burning in their scars.

"**You... The troll... you.. WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING, POTTERS?**" Riddle snarled at them, his scarlet eyes gleaming.

Quirrel jumped at the sudden outburst from the usually calm and collected Professor. Even McGonagall and Snape had to gape momentarily at the man, who did not realize he had yelled in Parseltongue, before McGonagall finally regained her senses and glowered at the group.

"What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"

Granger timidly stepped out of Harry's arms.

"Please, Professor McGonagall — they were looking for me."

"Miss Granger!"

Hermione had managed to get to stop trembling at last.

"I went looking for the troll because I — I thought I could deal with it on my own — you know, because I've read all about them."

The three Slytherins shared a look. Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher? That was a first.

"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Harry used a knockback jinx on it, Alex cast a full body bind and Theodore knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."

Professor McGonagall eyed the Slytherins critically. "And why did you three not proceed to the dormitory?"

Harry looked up at his Professor with wide, innocent eyes - like a child being scolded by his parent, which was extremely ironic. "Miss Granger has purposely left out an important detail, Professor. You see, she only came running here because of Mr. Weasley."

Alex put on a sad expression, even sniffing a bit, "Insulting the poor girl - had her upset, he did - all because he was jealous of her. Otherwise, she needn't have to prove herself."

Theo and Granger remained silent, the latter looking more than uneasy.

"You'll do something about it -"

"- won't you Professor McGonagall?"

McGonagall glanced down at the twins' solemn faces, staring up at her with wide, hopeful eyes. Her look softened. She couldn't say no. She didn't want to break whatever trust the children had in her. They looked so much like Lily and James, it immensely pained her to imagine it.

"Of course, Mr. Potter, Miss Potter. I'll see to it that Mr. Weasley is dealt accordingly." She turned to Granger. "Five points, however, will be taken from Gryffindor for your lack of judgement, Miss Granger."

Hermione nodded in acceptance and left.

She then turned back to the three Slytherins. "You three are very lucky, you know. Not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win your houses five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."

The twins didn't miss the nasty look their head of house had sent them.

Harry in particular, found it amusing. He knew that Snape held a grudge against his father at school. Personally, Harry didn't blame him. James Potter had been a great wanker at some point in his life, and that part of him, the twins despised. They detested bullies; they knew what it was like - to be bullied by others. Before the twins had learned of their magic, Dudley's gang had pushed them around, beaten them, taunted them endlessly.

It wasn't until the age of seven when the twins had shown signs of accidental magic, and had trapped Dudley and his friend, Piers Polkiss, inside a Boa Constrictors tank. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia made certain that they had paid dearly for it. It was a month after the incident when Tom had made himself known to them. The twins had been bothered at first - to have something foreign in their minds. Tom had taught them how to communicate with each other through their minds, how to control their accidental magic, how to get back at those people who had hurt them.

"Something you need, Professor Riddle?"

Theo turned around when Harry spoke, to find out that the scarlet-eyed Professor had indeed, followed them to the dungeons. He didn't look very happy either. The utter fury in the man's eyes made Theo shudder in fear.

"Mr. Nott, proceed to your dormitory. I would like to have a word with Mr. and Miss Potter." said Riddle in a tone that saved no room for arguments. Theo nodded and hastily retreated to the Slytherin common room, leaving the twins and Riddle alone in the deserted corridor.

"Now..." Riddle began again, his eyes blazing, "What on earth were you both thinking? Going after that troll?" he raged at them both.

"We were telling the truth." they chorused back in monotone, not looking the least bit bothered.

Riddle's nostrils flared, "You mean to tell me that Miss Granger did drag Alex with her to fight the troll?"

"Did we say that? No," Alex scoffed. "It was Weasley's fault that Granger was in the bathroom. I went after her, and the troll came in." She sharply turned to face Harry, and glared. "And I personally blame you for it. You're fascination with that girl is getting awfully annoying."

"I see..." Riddle answered slowly. "Yet, that is no excuse. You should have called for a teacher, Mr. Potter."

"Why do you care about us anyway, Professor?" Harry questioned at once. "What is it to you if we get hurt?"

Riddle discreetly froze. Yes, why did he care if they got hurt? Why? He wasn't in any way emotionally attached to the brats - at least, he hoped he wasn't. He couldn't afford to have such weakness. So why was he so angry with them for risking their lives?

Harry and Alex shared a smirk at this. "Good night, Professor." they chided, before heading down the direction of the Slytherin common room. When Riddle realized he had been dismissed, he grew angrier.

Insolent brats.

* * *

"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor—what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too—"

"JORDAN!" yelled Professor McGonagall.

"Sorry, Professor."

It was the day of the very first Quidditch match, Gryffindor versus Slytherin. As soon as people had seen the twins step on the field, the Gryffindors grew rather cocky - apparently thinking that the Slytherins were desperate if they were willing to place a couple of first years on their house team.

"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve — and a pass to Johnson intercepted by Alex Potter,first girl to ever join the Slytherin quidditch team. What on earth has Flint been smoking?— Joking, Professor! Alex Potter in possession of the quaffle and passes to Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint and off he goes — Flint flying like an eagle up there - "

Harry swerved on his broom, narrowly avoiding a bludger to his head as his eyes trailed along the field in search for the snitch.

"He's going to sc — no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle — that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and — OUCH — that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger, Quaffle taken by the Slytherins — that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts,"

"Pucey, look alive!" Alex yelled as one of the Weasley twins batted the bludger his way, missing Pucey by inches. The boy dropped the quaffle, that was quickly caught by Angelina Johnson.

"Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes — she's really flying — dodges a speeding Bludger — the goal posts are ahead — come on, now, Angelina — Keeper Bletchley dives — misses — GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"

When Angelina scored, Harry moved his broom higher, just so he could get a clearer view of the Quidditch pitch.

Alex then sped towards Katie, who was speeding towards the goal posts with Alicia. Bletchely managed to block Katie's shot and tossed it towards Alex, who caught it with one hand and ducked under Alicia's arm as she made a move for the quaffle.

"Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan was saying, "Chaser Alex Potter avoids Chaser Spinnet, passes the quaffle to Chaser Pucey who ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the — wait a moment — was that the Snitch?"

A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear.

Harry saw it. In a great rush of excitement he dived downward after the streak of gold. The Gryffindor seeker had seen it, too. Neck and neck they hurtled toward the Snitch — all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch.

It was as Harry dodged another Bludger, which went spinning dangerously past his head, that it happened.

His broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch. For a split second, he thought he was going to fall. He gripped the broom tightly with both his hands and knees. He'd never felt anything like that. It happened again. It was as though the broom was trying to buck him off.

His broom had started to roll over and over, with him only just managing to hold on. Then the whole crowd gasped. Harry's broom had given a wild jerk and Harry swung off it. He was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand.

Alex was staring up at him, horrified.

_ALEX! The snitch!_

Alex glanced below them, and there it was. The glint of gold hovering below Harry, it was a wonder why the Gryffindor seeker hadn't spotted it yet. Her anger flared as her gaze settled back on her brother.

_'You wouldn't dare.'_

_You'll catch me._

And just like that, Harry positioned himself as best he could on his bucking broom - and let go, and Alex dove.

* * *

Riddle just about had a heart attack when he saw Harry letting go of his broom, and Alex diving after him, and it didn't look like she was going to get him in time either. He distictly saw the Potter boy grasping something in the air at mid-fall, Alex barely managing to grasp his arm.

She pulled her broom up to slow their fall, before both of them toppled on the ground, Harry's free arm encircling Alex protectively as they landed. Harry pushed himself to a sitting position, taking Alex with him, and suddenly looked up as everyone held their breath, and he punched his fist in the air, grinning wildly. He had gotten the snitch.

Riddle felt his magic crackling around him furiously. What were they thinking, pulling a reckless stunt like that? Either of them could have died, for Salazar's sake! And to think they were supposed to be Slytherins!

"**Damn Potters.**" he hissed under his breath.

Alex pushed her brother's arm off her, and smacked him upside the head. "**Bloody, suicidal idiot!**" she hissed at him lowly, as the Slytherin Quidditch team landed and crowded around them.

The Slytherins in the stands were cheering wildly, while the other houses seemed less enthusiastic about it. The twins could distinctly see Hermione clapping politely for them, before she was berated by her fellow housemates

* * *

"It was Snape," Hermione told them as she approached the group of Slytherins later that day, "I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you, Harry."

Draco, Blaise, Theo and Daphne looked wary of her presence, but otherwise ignored it and listened to what she had to say.

"It could be a counter curse, you know." said Harry. "And besides me being a mirror image of his tormentor, I doubt he'd want me dead."

Hermione was confused, "His tormentor?"

"Our father used to bully him a lot in school." Alex admitted unabashedly, "I understand where his hatred is coming from, but I doubt it's enough to murder my brother during a Quidditch match with so many witnesses. Snape has morals too, you know, and I'm pretty sure he's not stupid."

"He was worried too." Hermione mumbled, and the twins stopped in their tracks to stare at her.

"Who?" they demanded.

"Professor Riddle," answered Hermione. "He looked worried - and angry. His eyes were red and everything."

Alex smirked, "What do you know? He does care."

"That or he just doesn't want to deal with the scandal that would take place. Just imagine, 'The-Children-Who-Lived dying after a hundred foot fall during a Quidditch match'." Harry drawled, and the rest of the group snickered.

"I can see why," piped Blaise, "You two could have gotten killed!"

Draco grinned, "It was one wicked dive though. I doubt the Gryffindors could have pulled something like that."

As the group walked on - the boys with the exception of Harry talking about the day's Quidditch game - the hairs on the back of Harry and Alex's necks stood. There were aware of a pair of eyes watching them, and it wasn't Riddle either.

* * *

**Please review! More reviews equals faster updates, and possibly longer chapters!**

**~Cassandra**


	8. Year 1 - Christmas and Nicholas Flamel

**Here's the next chapter for you guys! Who else shall I recruit? XD Still thinking on a proper name for their group. If you guys have any suggestions, feel free!**

**Also, don't forget to check out my story "Ice Princess".**

**Review responses:**

**lostfeather1** - Not exactly Gryffindor, but yeah, he is more reckless compared to Alex.

**krikanalo** - I'll consider it, but it sounds kind of obvious though.

**LadyH. -Peverell** - Don't worry, I plan to. I love Hermione's character, and she's not someone I would put out of the way easily.

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews guys, I really appreciate them.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter; it all belongs to J.K Rowling and Warner Brothers Inc. However, I do own Alex.

**Pairings:** Hermione Granger/Harry Potter/Elladora Lestrange (Triad), Draco Malfoy/Alex Potter/Tom Riddle Jr. (Triad), mentions of Blaise Zabini/Daphne Greengrass

_Harry's thoughts_

_'Alex's thoughts'_

_Both Harry and Alex's thoughts_

**_Horcrux Tom's thoughts_**

**"Parseltongue"**

* * *

It was no surprise to the twins when Professor Riddle glared at them from the head table since the last Quidditch match. But oddly enough, he hadn't spoken to them once about it. It was mid-December; the lake was frozen, and Hogwarts' grounds were covered in thick blankets of snow. Harry and Alex even had to dodge snowballs the Weasley twins and a fair few Gryffindors were throwing just to get to the lake. On their way there, they met the gameskeeper, Hagrid, talking to Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Ron Weasley.

The twins quickly hid themselves behind the nearest tree, listening closely.

_**My, my. Eavesdropping, are we?**_

_Shut up, Tom._

"Come on, Hagrid." they heard Weasley say, "Snape's trying to steal whatever's hidden in the castle!"

Harry and Alex exchanged a look. Snape? Trying to steal something? Under _Dumbledore's_ watch? The idea was ludicrous.

"We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find Nicholas Flamel anywhere — just give us a hint — I know I've read his name somewhere." said Thomas.

"I'm sayin' nothin'," Hagrid replied flatly.

"Just have to find out for ourselves, then," said Finnigan, and they left Hagrid looking disgruntled.

That was when the twins decided to make themselves known, stepping out of their hiding spot. "Hello Hagrid." they chorused in greeting, smirking a bit as the half-giant jumped in surprise at their sudden appearance.

"What are yeh two doin' 'ere?" Hagrid asked, a strained smile on his face.

"Going out for a walk in the lake." Harry smiled charmingly, "I hope we weren't intruding."

Hagrid's eyes shifted uneasily between the twins, who both wore matching smiles on their faces. Though instead of falling for a false sense of security like many others have done, Hagrid tensed, his shoulders stiffening. They painfully reminded him of someone - someone from his Hogwarts days - but he couldn't place a large finger on it. He stammered out an excuse - something about tending to the blast-ended skrewts - and retreated to his hut.

The twins both noticed his unease, and were mentally scowling.

_'He's skeptical! He suspects something! He might go to Dumbledore!' _Alex was snarling in her mind.

_Calm down sister._ Harry snapped, _Your temper will be your undoing if you let it control you._

_**Harry is right, my dear. You must have patience.** _Tom soothed her, before focusing on Harry. _**However, Alex has a point, my boy. The oaf is loyal to the old fool, and you must keep an eye on him.**_

The twins did not hesitate to agree. They postponed their walk down the lake, trudging back up the castle and headed straight for the library.

* * *

Alex sighed in frustration as she set down her book, tempted to simply just chuck it in the fireplace, but she doubted Madame Pince would appreciate it. She and Harry sat in the Slytherin common room with Draco, Blaise, Daphne, Theo and Elladora, and dozens of books surrounding them. _Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century_, _Notable Magical Names of Our Time, __Important Modern Magical Discoveries_, and _A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry were just a few of them._**  
**

"He's not in any of these books." Daphne groaned.

"Is he even recent?" Blaise asked, setting his own book down.

"He has to be." Theo said, "If Thomas has heard of him, and apparently read about him."

"I can't believe I'm saying this," said Draco, "But I'd say we have to ask Granger. She's a walking library; she's probably read something."

"But Hermione's gone home for Christmas." countered Harry, "We'll have to wait until she comes back."

Alex scoffed, moving to rest her head on Draco's lap. The blonde boy then proceeded to run his hands through her dark tresses. "I, for one, can't wait that long. Why not check the restricted section? There's bound to be something there - Elladora, you can do it, can't you? You're older than the rest of us; they'll be less suspicious that way."

"Which teacher do I ask though?" said Elladora, "Somehow I doubt Snape would do it."

Harry smirked his arm moving to rest behind Elladora's shoulders, "Indeed. The man hates us."

"I'm sure we'll find something." said Blaise, "But right now, let's go to bed. It's awfully late."

On Christmas Eve, Harry and Alex shared a bed in the boy's dorm, turns out that only boys weren't allowed in the girl's dorms. Thankfully, it didn't bother his dorm mates in the least. Both awoke to a pile of presents on the foot of Harry's bed. They were quite surprised, when they had found a few coming from other houses.

"Odd," said Alex as she took one of hers from the pile, "I wasn't honestly expecting any."

Daphne and Elladora later joined them in the boys' dorm, their own pile of presents in their hands. At last, the twins had only one present left to unwrap, addressed to them both. They shared a look, before Harry reached for it and tore open the parcel. Something fluid and silvery gray went slithering to the floor where it lay in gleaming folds. The rest of the purebloods in the room gasped.

"That's an invisibility cloak!" said Draco.

Harry draped the cloak over his shoulders, duly noting the odd feeling coursing through his body, as he and Alex watching with interest as his body disappeared, leaving his head to float in midair.

"Bloody hell, what I'd give for one of those." Blaise said, eyeing the cloak in awe as Harry shrugged it off, "They're really rare, and extremely valuable."

"Are they?" Harry folded the cloak carefully, and observing it.

"Who gave it to you?" asked Daphne. Alex picked up the note that fell out of the parcel, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

_Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you._

_Use it well._

_A Very Merry Christmas to you._

There was no signature, but the twins had a good idea who had given it to them.

"Who does this old coot think he's playing?" Alex snapped. Harry snatched away the note, and growled lowly in his throat as he finished reading it.

"Better question is, how did he get the cloak? I doubt our father would give it to just anyone." said Harry as he laid the cloak on his bed, he and Alex pulling their wands off the bedside table and pointing it at the cloak.

"_Finite Incantatem._" they chorused.

There was an odd glow around the cloak, the rest of their companions watching as the glow faded after a couple of seconds and the cloak laid harmlessly on top of Harry's bed. Alex picked it up, a wicked grin on her face as she turned to the rest of her companions.

"I believe we just found our ticket to the Restricted Section."

* * *

During the Christmas dinner, the group kept to themselves. Most of them had excited smirks on their faces, making the rest of their housemates look on curiously. Harry glanced up the head table, just in time to see Dumbledore eyeing their group in interest. He discreetly nudged his sister, who followed his line of sight. Both gave Dumbledore charming, yet knowing smiles, and the old man blinked in surprise.

In their heads, they were cackling with glee.

Obviously, Dumbledore had thought he had been smart - placing a compulsion charm on the cloak.

Alex's gaze dragged along the head table, and watched Hagrid getting redder and redder in the face as he called for more wine, finally kissing Professor McGonagall on the cheek, who, to Alex's astonishment, giggled and blushed, her top hat lopsided.

An odd sight indeed.

Then, there was Professor Vector, who had laughed at something Professor Flitwick had said. Snape was his usually grumpy self, glaring at everyone in the hall. Then, there was Professor Riddle, who met her stare as it settled on him. He raised an eyebrow at her inquisitively, and Alex smirked, raising her glass of Pumpkin juice. He returned the gesture with a smirk of his own, and it made something spark in the pit of Alex's stomach.

Alex pushed down the feeling, and it was quickly replaced with confusion. Of course, Harry and Tom felt this.

_Sister? What - ?_

_'Leave it, brother. I don't wish to talk about it.'_

_All right, I'll leave it... for now._

Later that night, the twins left for the library. The library was pitch-black and very eerie. Harry lit a lamp to see his way along the rows of books. The lamp looked as if it was floating along in midair. The Restricted Section was right at the back of the library. Stepping carefully over the rope that separated these books from the rest of the library, Harry held up the lamp as Alex moved to read the titles.

The hairs on the back of Alex's neck prickled. Maybe she was imagining it, maybe not, but she thought a faint whispering was coming from the books, as though they knew someone was there who shouldn't be.

"Protection charms." she murmured.

"Where do we start? There has to be hundreds of books in this single shelf." said Harry.

_Tom, help us out here._

**_I'd recommend one of the older ones at the end of the shelf. It involves magical histories, dark objects and their properties._**

Alex couldn't help but quip, _'Memorized the whole library, have you?'_

_**Maybe.**_ Tom chuckled.

The twins were quick to walk towards the end of the shelf, Harry setting the large lamp carefully on the floor, and he and Alex began searching through the large tomes. None of them, however, seemed to be what they were looking for. But a large black and silver volume caught Harry's eye. He pulled it out with difficulty, because it was very heavy, and, balancing it on his knee, let it fall open.

_**Harry, NO!**_

A piercing, bloodcurdling shriek split the silence — the book was screaming!

Alex snatched it from Harry and snapped it shut, all the while glaring at him, but the shriek went on and on, one high, unbroken, ear-splitting note. They stumbled backward and knocked over the lamp, which went out at once. Panicking, they heard footsteps coming down the corridor outside — Alex stuffed the shrieking book back on the shelf, and she and Harry ran for it. They passed Filch in the doorway; Filch's pale, wild eyes looked straight through them, and the twins slipped under Filch's outstretched arm and streaked off up the corridor, the book's shrieks still ringing in their ears. Alex was sure she had gone deaf.

The both came to a sudden halt as they saw Professor Snape walking down the hall - right towards them. As they moved to run the opposite direction, Filch turned the corner they had just came.

"You asked me to come directly to you, Professor, if anyone was wandering around at night, and somebody's been in the library Restricted Section." Filch said as he approached Snape.

Alex cursed quietly. Neither Filch nor Snape could see them, of course, but it was a narrow corridor and if they came much nearer they'd knock right into them — the cloak didn't stop them from being solid.

Alex tugged on Harry's sleeve and they backed away as quietly as they could. A door stood ajar to their left. It was their only hope. They squeezed through it, one after the other, holding their breath while making sure the cloak covered them both, trying not to move it, and to their relief they both managed to get inside the room without Snape or Filch noticing anything. They walked straight past, and the twins leaned against the wall, breathing deeply, listening to their footsteps dying away. That had been close, very close.

Harry threw the cloak off them, glancing around the room. It was an abandoned classroom, and there in the middle, was a magnificent mirror with an inscription carved around the top: _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_.

Before either twin could step towards it, Tom's voice echoed loudly in their heads, making them freeze on the spot.

_**Don't! That mirror's dangerous!**_

_'What's dangerous about it?'_

_**It's ancient magic. It shows your deepest desires, the magic luring you in so you would never want to leave. You'd be wasting your life away in front of that mirror.**_

_So this is why Dumbledore gave us the cloak._ Harry realized.

Alex nodded her agreement. _He wants to catch us here._ Then begrudgingly added, _Clever, I'll admit._

"We have to leave now, before we're caught." said Harry, and he threw the cloak over them once more, creeping out the room and headed straight towards the dungeons.

By the time Dumbledore had reached the room, there was no sign of the twins, and his magic crackled around him in utter fury.

They had gotten away. But how?

* * *

**Again, sorry it took so long! Please review, it would mean a lot if you did!**

**~Cassandra**


	9. Year 1 - The Stone

**Here's the next chapter for you guys! Who else shall I recruit? XD Still thinking on a proper name for their group. If you guys have any suggestions, feel free!**

**Also, don't forget to check out my story "Ice Princess", and "Stockholm Syndrome".**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter; it all belongs to J.K Rowling and Warner Brothers Inc. However, I do own Alex.

**Pairings:** Hermione Granger/Harry Potter/Elladora Lestrange (Triad), Draco Malfoy/Alex Potter/Tom Riddle Jr. (Triad), mentions of Blaise Zabini/Daphne Greengrass

_Harry's thoughts_

_'Alex's thoughts'_

_Both Harry and Alex's thoughts_

**_Horcrux Tom's thoughts_**

**"Parseltongue"**

* * *

"You've got to be joking." said Theo as he glanced down the card in his hand.

_Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood,and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel._

"All this time, he was on the back of a bloody chocolate frog card?" Draco groaned, slumping into the black couch.

"It's not enough though." said Elladora, "So we know the guy works with Dumbledore, but we still don't know what he's hiding in the castle."

"He probably wants you both to go chasing after it." stated Blaise. "I don't doubt that he expects you to get hurt too." The others nodded, when Daphne suddenly let out a shriek and jumping off the couch.

"SNAKE!" she screeched, making the others jump off the couch as well.

Marcus Flint and Adrian Pucey, who were luckily the only other ones in the common rushed to where their group was sitting, their wands at the ready.

"Hold it!" the twins yelled in unison, making everyone in the room freeze. Flint and Pucey had their wands pointed at the small Black Adder hissing angrily on the couch. Alex glared at her housemates as she approached the couch and picked up the snake, the Adder wrapping itself around her right wrist like a vine.

"Are you two mad? That's an extremely poisonous snake!" exclaimed Pucey.

"Oh, we know." Harry answered flatly. "He is our familiar, after all."

"And if you ever point your wands at Kronos again -"

"- we will make sure you pay the price." The twin's magic rippled through the room like a tidal wave, making everyone, including the two older Slytherins, shudder in fear.

Alex sneered at the two older boys, "Flint, Pucey, we will talk to you both later. Not a word to anyone, clear?"

The two boys glanced at them warily, and opened their mouths to protest, when Elladora placed a hand on each of their shoulders. From the corner of her eye, Alex could see Harry bristle in anger at the unwanted contact between the three older students, and suppressed her amused chuckle. Harry was never one for jealousy, so it just made the situation a whole lot more entertaining for her. She nudged Theo, nodding discreetly in Harry's direction. Theo smirked, and shook his head.

"Just listen to them." said Elladora. Flint and Pucey exchanged another glance, and nodded reluctantly.

"Oh, did you two hear?" said Flint suddenly, all previous tension diminishing slightly, "Snape's refereeing our next game with Hufflepuff." All the first years' - and Elladora's - eyebrows shot up simultaneously.

"Snape? Refereeing Quidditch? Seriously?" Blaise blinked, astonished.

Pucey nodded, "Gave us quite a shock too."

"Something's up." said Draco, "Snape would never just volunteer to referee a _Quidditch_ game."

The entrance of the common room opened then, and Warrington came striding in. "Potters," he called, "There's some Gryffindor girl outside that wants to speak with you both.

The twins exchanged a look, before turning back to Warrington, "Describe her." they chorused.

"Bushy hair, buck teeth, freckles..." Warrington shrugged.

"Let her in." said Harry in a tone that left room for no arguments. Warrington nodded, and headed off. Seconds later, the common room entrance opened again, and Hermione came rushing in with a large tome in hand, only pausing to glance around the Slytherin common room in curiosity. Elladora sneered at the younger girl as she noticed this.

"Is there something you need in particular, Granger, or are you just here for a sneak peek at our common room?"

"I've found out who Flamel is!" Hermione exclaimed, mostly to the twins, placing the tome on the nearest table and opening it up to a marked page. "I never thought to look in here!" she said excitedly. "I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading."

"Light?" Theo said incredulously.

"I'd hate to see what you define as heavy studying then." Daphne commented dryly.

Hermione ignored them as she flipped frantically through the pages, muttering to herself. At last she found what she was looking for.

"_Nicolas Flamel,"_she began dramatically, "_is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone_!"

Every Slytherin leaned forward to get a glimpse of the page.

_The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal._

_There have been many reports of the Philosopher's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight)._

"Riches and immortality." Alex mused thoughtfully, "Three guesses on who the bait's for."

"And no wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that _Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry_," said Blaise. "He's not exactly recent if he's six hundred and sixty-five, is he?"

"It's being guarded by a Cerberus, under a trap door somewhere in the forbidden corridor." Hermione added, making everyone turn to her.

"How do you know that?" asked Pucey.

"The night Malfoy challenged Ron to a duel." Hermione admitted sheepishly, "I tried to stop them, and ended up going with them after getting locked out the common room. We accidentally found the corridor while running from Filch."

Draco rose an eyebrow dubiously, "Yeah? Then how did Weasely and his gang end up with detention while you got away Scot-free?"

"Peeves." said Hermione, "He's scared of what Harry and Alex would do if he had me caught, so he helped me hide in an abandoned classroom while Filch cornered the others."

Harry smirked at this.

"We have Baron to thank, really." Alex snickered.

"And there's something else." chided Hermione, "Snape's planning to steal the stone."

Her statement was met with silence from the present Slytherins. Then, Draco finally put in his two sickles.

"That's ridiculous!" he exclaimed angrily, "He wouldn't do such a thing!"

"Where did you hear that?" demanded Elladora. "Did Weasley and his gang say it?"

Hermione nodded hesitantly, and Elladora snarled.

"When I get my hands on hat little Weasel..."

"No, Ella." Harry stated firmly, making everyone turn their attention to him, "We can't let anyone know that we know about the stone, especially Dumbledore, for obvious reasons."

"What do you suggest we do, brother?" Alex asked, Kronos slithering up her arm and resting over her shoulders.

"Simple." said Harry, "We get to the stone before Weasley does. It would be a useful bargaining chip in he future."

* * *

The following morning, everyone seemed to be in a sullen mood as both Slytherin and Hufflepuff teams flew into heir respective positions on the field. Obviously, Snape was going to take every opportunity to give Hufflepuff a penalty, and put Slytherin in the lead.

Alex internally scowled. People like Snape were one of he reasons others thought ill of their house. There were many decent Slytherins, but people judged them anyway, based on their house. It was no different han judging a person by their blood. Besides, not all blood purists were in Slytherin. On the contrary, there were quite a few in Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and even Gryffindor.

Harry on the other hand, kept his eyes on Dumbledore. He briefly noted that Professor Riddle too, was watching from a safe distance, Quirrell at his side.

_'Catch the snitch quickly, so we can get this game over with.'_ Alex thought to him sourly, _'The Hufflepuffs are more than jittery, and it's getting quite irksome.'_

Harry bit back a snort at his sister's impatience, when a golden streak whizzed passed him. And Harry dove, drawing gasps from his audience. He whizzed by Snape, and was getting closer to the ground each passing second, his hand outstretched.

His fist tightened around the small golden ball, and pulled his broom up mere inches from the ground, his arm holding the snitch raised in triumph.

The Slytherins cheered loudly, the other houses clapping politely, with he exception of Gryffindor. Hermione had been the only one to cheer for the twins' victory. Even Professor Riddle was smirking proudly from the teacher's stands. Snape was either pissed they had survived the game, or proud that they had gotten Slytherin house into he lead.

Speaking of the bat...

The twins had just reached the shed, when a hooded figure came stalking down the castle steps, towards he Forbidden forest. Harry and Alex exchanged a knowing look, and mounted their brooms, following silently. The trees were thick, and it was getting harder to follow without making a sound. Finally, Snape stopped at a shady clearing, and the twins rested themselves on a nearby branch, watching through the leaves.

"…d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places, Severus…"

"Quirrell." Alex and Harry murmured.

"Oh, I thought we'd keep this private," said Snape, his voice icy. "Students aren't supposed to know about the Philosopher's Stone, after all."

Quirrelll was mumbling something. Snape interrupted him.

"Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?"

"B-b-but Severus, I —"

"You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrelll," said Snape, taking a step toward him.

Suddenly, an owl shot out of it's hiding place on one of the nearby branches, startling the twins, who instinctively clutched each other. Harry covering Alex's mouth with his hand, and Alex doing the same to him. They managed to steady themselves just in time to hear Snape say, "— your little bit of hocus-pocus. I'm waiting."

Alex cursed under her breath. What did he say?

"B-but I d-d-don't —"

"Very well," Snape cut in. "We'll have another little chat soon, when you've had time to think things over and decided where your loyalties lie."

Snape threw the cloak back over his head, trudging back to the castle, and leaving Quirrell rooted to the spot with a terrified look on his face. Harry and Alex exchanged another look, before remounting their brooms, and flying back up the castle.

Now, they needed to have a talk with Flint and Pucey.

* * *

The next few weeks, the twins kept a close eye on both Quirrell and Snape, noticing that the former had grown paler in the days that passed, and Snape was still ill tempered as he had always been. What they found odd though, was that Riddle seemed on the edge as well. He was expecting something to happen, and it wasn't going to be good.

Exams were just coming up, and that seemed to add up to their problems. Hermione wouldn't quit nagging them to study, and Alex was close to hexing her on multiple occasions, only to be stopped by Harry. It was hard to relax with Hermione next to them, reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood or practicing wand movements.

Harry, who sitting across from Alex on one of the library tables, looking up "Dittany" in _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_, didn't look up until he heard Weasley exclaim, "Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?"

The half-giant shuffled into view, hiding something behind his back. He looked very out of place in his moleskin overcoat. What caught Harry's attention though, was the giant's shifty tone as he answered, "Jus' lookin',"

By this time, Alex had begun to listen in, her eyes trained on the Potions book in front of her, but her ears were on high alert as the giant continued speaking. "An' what're you lot up ter?" He sounded suddenly suspicious. "Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?"

"Oh, we found out who he is ages ago," said Weasley in what he thought was an impressive way. "And we know what that dog's guarding, it's a Philosopher's St—"

"Idiot." Alex muttered.

"Shhhh!" Hagrid looked around quickly to see if anyone was listening. "Don' go shoutin' about it, what's the matter with yeh?"

"There are a few things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of fact," said Thomas, "about what's guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy —"

"SHHHH!" said Hagrid again. "Listen — come an' see me later, I'm not promisin' I'll tell yeh anythin', mind, but don' go rabbitin' about it in here, students aren' s'pposed ter know. They'll think I've told yeh —"

"See you later, then," said Finnigan.

And as quick as he could, Hagrid was out the door, just bumping into a few people on the way.

"Yes, we did. What was he hiding behind his back?" they heard Thomas say thoughtfully.

"Do you think it had anything to do with the Stone?" Finnigan asked.

"I'm going to see what section he was in," said Weasley, who'd obviously had no intention of studying. He came back a minute later with a pile of books in his arms and slammed them down on the table. Harry and Alex rolled their eyes at his stupidity once people turned to see what the commotion was about.

"Dragons!" he whispered, and the twins wouldn't have caught it had they not been lisening intently. "Hagrid was looking up stuff about dragons! Look at these:_Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland; From Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper's Guide._"

From her place, Alex smirked at Harry, who returned the look with fervor.

If they were right, the trio would be heading to Hagrid's hut to confront him about the situation. It was an opportunity to gather more information, and it wouldn't be wasted.

Later that same night, the twins returned to the common room, a plan forming in their heads. They knew what to expect when they go down that trap door. Now they just had to act before Weasley and his gang got the same idea.

* * *

**Again, sorry it took so long! Please review, it would mean a lot if you did!**

**~Cassandra**


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